God Rewards Those Who Remain By The Stuff

1st Samuel 30:22-24, “Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart. Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand. For who will hearken unto you in this matter? but as his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.”

The Biblical reason why we suffer is because we live in a fallen world. When Adam sinned, he opened the floodgate for sin and death to enter into the world. Romans 5:12, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” It is not God's will for a drunk driver to kill a pregnant woman and her child, but I stood over their caskets at a funeral. I'll never forget that small white coffin being lowered into the ground. The drunk driver sustained minor injuries. He should have got the death penalty! He is now free and enjoying his life. We have a sin problem in America! Jesus said in Matthew 24:12 that the love of many would wax cold because iniquity (unpunished evil) shall abound. Now the authorities are releasing convicted criminals onto American streets due to the Coronavirus scare! That is insane.

On page 59 of chapter five (“Why We Suffer”) by M.R. DeHaan (1891-1965) in his helpful book, “BROKEN THINGS,” he wonderfully says these words of encouragement for those who are suffering:

The greatest sermons I have heard were not preached from pulpits but from sickbeds. The greatest, deepest truths of God's Word have often been revealed, not by those who preached as a result of their seminary preparation and education, but by those humble souls who have gone through the seminary of affliction and have learned the deep things of the ways of God. 

The more cheerful people I have met, with few exceptions, have been those who had the least sunshine and the most pain and suffering in their lives. The most grateful people I have met were not those who had traveled a pathway of roses all their lives through, but those who were confined, because of circumstances, to their homes—often to their beds. They had learned to depend upon God as only such Christians know how to do. 

The "gripers" on the other hand, are usually those who enjoy excellent health. The complainers are those who have the least to complain about. But those dear saints of God who have refreshed my heart again and again as they preached from sickbed-pulpits have been the men and women who have been the most cheerful and the most grateful for the blessings of of almighty God. 

The Bible tells us distinctly that there is a special reward and a special crown which the Lord has prepared and paid up for those who suffer patiently. This principle is suggested by the incident recorded in I Samuel 30.  

David, along with four hundred strong, healthy men, had gone out to seek the enemy. Two hundred, however, had remained behind because they were weary and faint, probably because of some physical infirmity. These David had left behind to guard the camp and the equipment of those who went into the heat of the battle. After the victory had been won, the four hundred who had been active participants in the battle refused to share with those who had remained behind and said, “We'll give them just a little bit, but we're going to take the spoils.” 

At this point David stated the eternal principle in the words of I Samuel 30:24, “As his part is that goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be that tarrieth by the stuff: they shall part alike.” Those of you who remain by the stuff are not overlooked or forgotten by God: there is a very definite and special reward laid up for God's patient sufferers. 

If you, child of God, are upon a bed of illness, if you are being troubled by pain or discouragement, remember that God will always use our suffering for His purposes. Our suffering silences Satan, our suffering enables us to glorify God, our suffering makes us more like Christ, our suffering makes us appreciative, and, ultimately, our suffering teaches us to depend on God. —Pastor M.R. DeHaan, “Broken Things,” pp. 59-61; ©1948, Discovery House Publishers

Isn't that beautiful? One of my favorite Bible verses is Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.” The moment we got saved, we became HEIRS with Jesus of all that God the Father is giving to Him. Romans 8:32 says God will give us “ALL THINGS.” I wish that included a wife, but the Lord said we'll be like the angels in Heaven, who don't marry. I guess it is because I'm still in my earthly body, but I cannot imagine Heaven without someone special to share it with. I know we'll all share Heaven with Jesus, but I wish I could have a wife in Heaven. That is just my thinking. I'll just have to wait and see how it all works, because I get discouraged thinking about being alone in Heaven too. I can only believe, by faith, that our God knows what is best, and He will make Heaven better than earth for us.

Since we are equal heirs with Christ, since we share in His sufferings here on earth, we shall also share in His glory in eternity. I am not sure exactly what that means, but I think it is safe to say that we will share in all the good times that are coming in Heaven. God wants us to be happy. I love this next Bible verse from Ephesians 3:20, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” 

God already knows what we desire (Matthew 6:7-8). I want a new healthy body, which He has promised in Philippians 3:21. I want a wife, but the Lord said there is no marriage in Heaven, which makes me sad. There must be something that I don't understand. I am a man now, so I think like a man. But in my resurrected body I'll be like an angel (Mark 12:25). I am not sure what that means. I'll have to wait and see. I trust my good God! I know He wants me to be happy. Jesus is no respecter of persons, He doesn't favor certain of His children over others. We will all be equally loved, sought after, cared about, and cherished by our dear Savior in Heaven. I believe that with all my heart, and that encourages me.

God allows us to suffer because of sin. The serpent beguiled Eve, selling her a raw deal. The serpent told her she would become a god, and she did, but it wasn't in the way Eve imagined. Adam and Eve became gods in the sense of living and dying by their own decisions, which wasn't what Eve thought it would be. Eve must have hated the serpent, and felt stupid for the rest of her life. The serpent never returned to her. That is what malicious people will do. They give horrible advice and destroy someone's marriage, then go their own way and never be heard from again. Some people love to kill, steal and destroy, just like the Devil. 

Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death. It may not be for a sin we committed. Last month a 40 foot tree fell over and killed an 11 year old Girl Scout in southern Indiana. It wasn't for any particular sin that the little girl committed that killed her. We live in a fallen world because of sin. Bad things happen to good people. Good things happened to bad people. Scripturally, we are all sinners. Those whom we consider “good people” are still sinners. 

It doesn't seem fair to me, that God allows us to be born into a fallen world. I read yesterday a commentary by Dr. Oliver B. Greene, where he says we would have sinned just like Adam, if we were in his shoes. I totally disagree! Adam had no earthly father. God was Adam's father, just like Jesus. Adam had no sin nature prior to sinning. So I think each of us would have done differently. Adam had no predisposition to sin, just as Jesus didn't. I don't understand it all, but I don't believe Adam had no choice in the matter. Many atheists blame God for putting them into this situation. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, an atheist, said this:

“We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.” ―Gene Roddenberry

I actually agree with his feelings! It doesn't seem fair that God allowed me to be born into a messed-up world. But the Lord plainly said that His thoughts are above my thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” We cannot understand everything about God. We have the mind of Christ as believers (1st Corinthians 2:14-16), but we still cannot understand all things. 1st Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.” Thankfully, we don't have to understand God to please Him, we simply just need to TRUST HIM (Proverbs 3:5-7). 

The great heart of God is seen in our text verse from 1st Samuel 30-24. God will reward those believers who fight in the heat of the battle on the front lines, but He will also reward those suffering saints behind the scenes, those unsung heroes who stay by the stuff!