Defending your Pea Patch
11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop, where was a piece of ground full of lentils: and the people fled from the Philistines.
12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. 2 Samuel 23:11, 12
I've always loved the story of Shammah and his pea patch. It consists of a scant 2 little verses hidden away in the Old Testament among the rip-roaring adventures of the Kings of Israel. The tale is thousands of years old, but it still applies to us today. It's a story about faithfulness in small, everyday things. About doing the necessary things, about accepting responsibility even when it's hard. The story of Shammah is about being faithful.
We all tend to want to dream big dreams and do big things. We want to stand out, to be noticed, to be different from the teaming herd of humanity milling restlessly around us. What we miss is the fact that it is often the non-glamorous things that really count in the end. Everyday endeavors can yield unexpected results. Little battles can gain big victories.
As the story begins Israel was getting a royal butt-whipping from their old enemy the Philistines, and most of the Army was in retreat. It is in small moments of time that heroes are made. Shammah had only a moment to choose whether to haul-tail like his fellows or stand firm in his assigned place.
Maybe old Shammah was tired of the raids that left their crops in ruin and their hope depleted. Maybe he had worked hard on his pea-patch and was depending on it to feed his family. Maybe he just felt like he'd had enough, that it was time to take a stand, wherever he was at the moment, to do what he felt was right and to leave the rest to God.
He couldn't defeat the Philistines by himself, he couldn't rid the world of evil, he couldn't banish the Devil, but for right then on that day he could defend his own little piece of ground, he could fight for his pea patch. He just did the best he could with what he had to work with. He wasn't worried about the state of the stock-market or even what "Sister Julie" might have to say. He "took care of business" and did what needed to be done.
God didn't ask Shammah to save the world He only asked him to defend his pea patch. Shammah simply stood faithful, and his moment came. In the heat of the battle that moment was all there was, and he won a great victory for Israel that day.
12 But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory. 2 Samuel 23:11, 12
I've always loved the story of Shammah and his pea patch. It consists of a scant 2 little verses hidden away in the Old Testament among the rip-roaring adventures of the Kings of Israel. The tale is thousands of years old, but it still applies to us today. It's a story about faithfulness in small, everyday things. About doing the necessary things, about accepting responsibility even when it's hard. The story of Shammah is about being faithful.
We all tend to want to dream big dreams and do big things. We want to stand out, to be noticed, to be different from the teaming herd of humanity milling restlessly around us. What we miss is the fact that it is often the non-glamorous things that really count in the end. Everyday endeavors can yield unexpected results. Little battles can gain big victories.
As the story begins Israel was getting a royal butt-whipping from their old enemy the Philistines, and most of the Army was in retreat. It is in small moments of time that heroes are made. Shammah had only a moment to choose whether to haul-tail like his fellows or stand firm in his assigned place.
Maybe old Shammah was tired of the raids that left their crops in ruin and their hope depleted. Maybe he had worked hard on his pea-patch and was depending on it to feed his family. Maybe he just felt like he'd had enough, that it was time to take a stand, wherever he was at the moment, to do what he felt was right and to leave the rest to God.
He couldn't defeat the Philistines by himself, he couldn't rid the world of evil, he couldn't banish the Devil, but for right then on that day he could defend his own little piece of ground, he could fight for his pea patch. He just did the best he could with what he had to work with. He wasn't worried about the state of the stock-market or even what "Sister Julie" might have to say. He "took care of business" and did what needed to be done.
God didn't ask Shammah to save the world He only asked him to defend his pea patch. Shammah simply stood faithful, and his moment came. In the heat of the battle that moment was all there was, and he won a great victory for Israel that day.
We all have a lot to say about how the world is "going to Hell in a hand-basket" I get weary of the "Henny Pennys" who are running around announcing that the sky is falling. Maybe it is, I don't know, but I've done the best I can and I've fought for my pea patch and even with the falling sky, I expect a good harvest of peas.
There are a lot of folks who can tell you what is wrong and what everybody "ought" to be doing. But wouldn't it all work out better if everybody would defend his own "pea patch?" If everyone would be faithful to his own assigned task and take care of his own friends, family and sphere of influence. If this happened it wouldn't be long until the world was won for the kingdom of God.
Zechariah 4:10 asks the question, "Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?" I believe that we all have a job to do, and we must do it. 1 Sam.10:7 tells us "When therefore these signs shall happen to thee, do whatsoever thy hand shall find, for the Lord is with thee". Gods will and purpose is not a dark hidden thing, you can find it in common sense, in your talents and desires and in your opportunities. In the end I believe God simply wants you to stand faithful and to do your very best.
You might say "what can I do? I have no special talents?" But you can take your kids to Church, and more than that you can live a christian life before them. You can live right, and speak right, believe me in this day and time people will notice.
Shammah stood faithful over that which he was given. He fought fought a small battle and was rewarded with a big win. It's easy to get discouraged when things aren't turning out like we think they should, but it's not for us to question it is our job only to tend out pea patch and leave the rest to God. Then maybe some day we can hear those coveted words from Matthew 25:21 "His Lord said unto him, Well done,thou good and faithful servant:thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:enter thou into the joy of thy lord."
There are a lot of folks who can tell you what is wrong and what everybody "ought" to be doing. But wouldn't it all work out better if everybody would defend his own "pea patch?" If everyone would be faithful to his own assigned task and take care of his own friends, family and sphere of influence. If this happened it wouldn't be long until the world was won for the kingdom of God.
Zechariah 4:10 asks the question, "Does anyone dare despise this day of small beginnings?" I believe that we all have a job to do, and we must do it. 1 Sam.10:7 tells us "When therefore these signs shall happen to thee, do whatsoever thy hand shall find, for the Lord is with thee". Gods will and purpose is not a dark hidden thing, you can find it in common sense, in your talents and desires and in your opportunities. In the end I believe God simply wants you to stand faithful and to do your very best.
You might say "what can I do? I have no special talents?" But you can take your kids to Church, and more than that you can live a christian life before them. You can live right, and speak right, believe me in this day and time people will notice.
Shammah stood faithful over that which he was given. He fought fought a small battle and was rewarded with a big win. It's easy to get discouraged when things aren't turning out like we think they should, but it's not for us to question it is our job only to tend out pea patch and leave the rest to God. Then maybe some day we can hear those coveted words from Matthew 25:21 "His Lord said unto him, Well done,thou good and faithful servant:thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:enter thou into the joy of thy lord."