On the Banks of the Brook Besor

There are times when life just gets too heavy for us to shoulder the load. When that happens, it may help to sit down by the Brook Besore with David and his men, a story that can be found in I Samuel 30. You may be surprised as how a simple rest by a deep ravine can help. 

Transcript

Most of us have heard of the Biblical character David. His history can be found in the books of First and Second Samuel. It’s an intriguing story and takes us through his life – from being the ‘runt of the litter’ to becoming the King of Israel. Between those two points there is a lot going on in his life. 

It begins with him as a young shepherd. Young and seemingly insignificant, David was the last choice for his father Jesse, when asked by Samuel to present his sons. When none of the seven were acceptable to God, Jesse had no choice but to pull David out of the field. And he is the one who was anointed as the future king. Sounds good, right? The underdog wins. But that’s not the end of the story.

Several things take place before David gets his crown. It starts with him being pulled out of the field and sent to play the harp for the king he will one day replace, in order to calm King Saul’s tormented spirit. Saul likes him, and he was appointed as one of Saul’s armor bearers. David then began working two jobs. One for Saul, and one tending sheep for his father.

While on duty with the sheep, David is once again pulled from his shepherd duties. His father tells him to take a meal to his brothers, who were in the midst of battle with the Philistines. While there, his curiosity is aroused, and he listens in on a conversation. Curious, he asks the question, “What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine?”. 

The brothers don’t like his question. They still look at him like a pesky little brother. Instead of answering him, or at the very least thanking David for bringing food, his brothers berate him for leaving his sheep and accusing him of being conceited and having a wicked heart.

But David knew God was with him, and offered to slay the biggest, baddest, most arrogant of all those giant Philistines – we know him as Goliath. 

I wish I could have been a fly on a camel’s hump when Goliath hit the ground and seen the reactions of David’s brothers.  I can just see them standing there, slack jawed and in shock when they see their runt of a brother do what was believed to be impossible, and no one else was willing to try. 

From there, David’s life moves forward, with some smooth roads, sharp turns, and quite a few ups and downs. He gains a friend in Jonathan, King Saul’s son, and then loses him to death. He is pursued by King Saul, goes into hiding, spares the life of Saul several times, and is constantly on the run and watching over his shoulder. His heart is getting a workout, going from exhilaration to deep sorrow. But he hangs on to God and keeps moving forward.

Fast forward several years, and you find David returning home from a long and arduous journey, only to find that his home in Ziklag had been razed and the women and children gone. David and his warriors saddle right back up and head to the rescue.

Now, these men were already hot, dirty, hungry, and exhausted – physically, mentally, and emotionally to begin with. It all started with a long 3-day journey to help Achish in battle, only to be turned away. They then had to make that same hot and dirty journey back home. Their emotions were probably all over the place as it was, and then they come home to…no home, no wives, no children, no rest. Then their anger with David was added to the emotional mix. 

Understanding just how difficult this was on his men, he allowed two hundred of the most exhausted to remain behind at the Brook Besor. David and 400 hundred of his troops proceeded to track down the raiding party, recovered what was taken, and returned to the men resting at the Brook Besor. But instead of punishing them for remaining behind, David made sure the 200 shared in what was returned, over and above the women and children that originally belonged to these men. 

From start to finish, the story of David is fascinating. To learn more about it, be sure to read I Samuel, beginning with Chapter 17, and keep reading through 2nd Samuel. But for now, let’s bring a modern-day twist to the Brook Besor episode. 

There are days when we have given our all. We have very little – if not anything at all left to offer, but still have a long road to travel ahead of us. At some point, we just give out, and can’t take another step. Which is where 200 of David’s men found themselves when they reached the Brook Besor.

Many, many times, I have plopped right down on those banks, right alongside of David’s men. I am too tired to battle the Amalekites, and too tired to return to the destruction of Ziklag. It's almost as if I have been wedged down between a rock and a hard place. 

For me, the Amalekites are on par with the battles I have to face which are outside of my control. These battles can stem from other people, society, or having an emergency that drains our finances. Ziklag, on the other hand, relates to cleaning up devastating storm damage, trying to keep the barn standing for another couple of years before we have to replace it altogether, or attempting to fix relationships that are damaged almost beyond repair.

There have been times when we have spent several days and nights in the barn trying to keep a newborn calf alive. We have fought cancer tooth and nail, and still tried to keep the animals cared for, the farm maintained, and continue to pay the bills. The death of loved ones has knocked the air out of our lungs, and watching relationships explode and disintegrate right in front of our eyes has been devastating. The grief is almost unbearable. 

Life can be extremely hard, and at times feels almost impossible to carry on. Our energy, emotions, and strength all give out at the same time, and we are no longer able to move. 

But one thing I have learned. When life just gets too difficult to handle, it may be time to sit down by the Brook Besor. The rest will do us good. It gives us a chance to regroup physically and emotionally. During that time, we can also turn to God, who fully understands what we are dealing with, and is sitting right beside us the entire time, or wedged into that space between the rock and hard place with us. He can nourish our bodies, minds and souls to give us the strength to move forward. And from there, we can pick ourselves up and take the first step. It won’t be easy – it never is. But it is possible.

Are you sitting on the banks of your own personal Brook Besor? Maybe it’s time for you to just stop. It may mean learning the art of saying ‘No’, or ‘Please. Wait awhile.’ It may mean reorganizing our priorities and tackling one thing at a time. You may also have to learn how to tune out the worries for things you cannot control, and instead focus on those you can. It may also mean the painful act of letting go of relationships. And it may also mean that spending time in prayer, asking God for the strength to carry on, will help more than you know.

No matter how you use your resting time, you will eventually be able to reap the rewards. David had mercy on the soldiers who stayed behind and divided the plunder equally. We may not benefit through great material riches, but we will reap the rewards of a body, mind, heart, and soul that is well rested. From there, we can stand up on the banks of the Brook Besor, cross through the waters, and be ready to move forward to the next challenge. 

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Thanks again for stopping in. I will see you next week on Living a Simple Life with a Back Porch View. And while you are waiting for the next episode, grab that glass of refreshment, pull up a rocker, and sit back for a while. It’s time to relax and enjoy.