2 Samuel 15:21
“As surely as the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”
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I have a new hero – Ittai. I am not even 100% sure how to pronounce his name but I certainly want to imitate his character. When David was fleeing Jerusalem and his rebellious son, Absalom, Ittai and his 600 men accompanied him. But Ittai was a foreigner from Gath. He had no reason to be loyal to David.
When I lived in Guatemala there was a coup. The deposed president, who was a committed Christian and actually attended our church, had to flee the country (Yes, the US was involved and its actions were disappointing when viewed from a Guatemalan perspective.)
Imagine uprooting my family (and 600 other families!) to follow this man into exile, defeat, not knowing what the future held for him. What a friend that would take! A man willing to risk it all, lose it all, for a friend.
David would not ask this of a man and encouraged Ittai to go back with David’s blessings. But look how Ittai responded.
“…wherever my lord the king may be, whether it means life or death, there will your servant be.”
Wow! When I read that, I immediately thought, “Lord, I want that to be my attitude toward You. I also want to be a friend like that.”
A friend who will stick with you in “life or death” is a rare find and, of course, one never really knows the depth of the friendship until it is tested by “death”.
“Lord, may I follow You ‘whether it means life or death’ and may I be a man of courage and loyalty toward others as Ittai was … as You are.”
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Proverbs 17:17
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Proverbs 27:6
Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses.
Well observed. Hope to see you sometime.
Thanks Bill. Looks like we will be spending more time in your beautiful area of the world so we’ll have to make a point of getting together and getting caught up.
Rick, I never paid attention to Ittai before. That’s pretty much what Jesus want’s us to be like. I’m going to work on a bible Study to explain this to the men here at the rehab.
enjoy your trip Brother
Blessings
Keith
That is awesome Keith. I can hardly read about this guy without crying. What a guy! and take a look at Ziba in Chapter 16. He worked for Mephibosheth a relative of Saul who David had been very gracious to. But, M. could not see it was God’s hand that put David in power over Saul so he was always angry with Saul no matter how nicely David treated him. But Ziba, gave up his cushy job working with M to take supplies to David and his men when it looked like their days were over. They were headed to the desert to be hunted down and killed by Absalom but Ziba brought him aid. Again, what a guy. Oh, to have friends like Ittai and Ziba but even more important, Oh to be friends like these who will stand faithful even when things look bad, who will not turn and run or pick the winning team to play on. But men who live by principle “whether it means life or death”.
This is good stuff. Bless the men with it Bro Keith!