War Again
26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon, and captured the royal city. 27 Then Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters. 28 Now then, gather the rest of the people and camp opposite the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.” 29 So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, and he fought against it and captured it. 30 Then he took the crown of [p]their king from his head; and its weight was a [q]talent of gold, and it had a precious stone; and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the plunder of the city in great amounts. 31 He also brought out the people who were in it, and put some to work at saws, iron picks, and iron axes, and made [r]others [s]serve at the brick [t]works. And he did the same to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.
In anything you do, be sure to check your motives. Why are you doing it? Is it for money, for fame or glory? To be a help to those in need? Or any of a hundred other reasons? Often, you don’t just have one reason, but it’s important to watch yourself lest you be carried away by the praises of people, and forget why you were put on this earth.
Joab was the leader of David’s army, and could easily have taken the city for his own fame and prestige. But Joab knew who his king was, and who he was serving. Joab sent word to David to come and claim the honor that was rightfully his.
When we do something great, are we quick to return the glory to the One whom it is due? Or are we caught up in the moment, losing sight of our true purpose? That’s not to say you should be dismissive of people’s encouragement and praise, but if you follow Christ, your response should always point people to Him. Graciously accept the compliment, and then honor Him who gave you the gift.