Standing the ground

2 Samuel:23.11-12(NIV) 
 Next to him was Shammah son of Agee the Hararite. When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory.

2 Samuel 23:8-39 is the highlights of the deeds of  David's mighty men. Men who were in the vanguard of David's military strength. 
 Shammah is one of those men. Men who were marked to be mighty among David's numerous ranks. 

   What special thing did      Shammah do?
 The simple answer to the question is found in 2 Samuel  23:12- "But he stood in the midst of the ground, and defended it, and slew the Philistines: and the LORD wrought a great victory." 

 He stood the ground. As simple has this task seem. Just standing. It's no big deal... 

Let's look at the peculiarity of the kind of standing he stood. 

-> It was in the midst of a raging battle; the ground he stood was not during a military parade. If it were that, every soldier can do that. That would not be enough to bring him among the "mighties". 
-> Again the ground he stood was not during a battle that was walkover. It was not a battle that they were winning. This is a battle where the captain had blown the "retreat whistle". Everyone is falling back.  Colleagues are gone. Some have been slaughtered. Here are the garrisons of the Philistines after their lives, in a fierce pursuit. 
-> He stood in the midst of the ground: he stood in a place where giving up/ retreating is impossible. He placed himself in such location of prominence. He was not in camouflage. He was not hiding the way Peter was following Jesus from the distance. 

Just because of the standing of a man at the right place(not in a compromising position), "the Lord wrought a great victory" 

God is not in the lookout for quitters. He is not in the lookout for compromisers. He is not in the lookout for conformist. God is in the lookout for Men who will put their lives on the line for his will to be done. Men who will see the lentils and see the need for its defense over their lives. Men who will be battle axes. Men who will hear the retreat whistle from people of "their captain" and still stand. He is looking out for a man who will Stand the ground in the midst of the field. Men who will stand out. 

But before you do the 'standing', you need to put on the whole armour of God.(Ephesians 6:10-17)

For God to wrought a great victory over the Philistines, the Philistines of worldly passion/affiliations invading the Church, he need Shammahs. 

_*Will you be the Shammah?*_ 


   Christ cares