It never ceases to amuse me to watch small children argue over toys. Child #1 sees an appealing toy, takes it, and begins to play with it. Child #2, who has been entertained with other toys until this moment, sees Child #1 with the toy and is overcome with a desire for the toy in Child #1's possession. Child #2 proceeds to snatch the toy from Child #1, not without a fight of course. Child #1 then chooses to either punch, kick, bite, yell, tattle, or some other method to get the toy back that they originally had stating "MINE!"
Isn't it amazing how we take ownership of certain things in our lives. We would never allow another human being to steal away our personal possessions that are of most value to us. A loving mother wouldn't allow a stranger to take her child without a fight. A protective father wouldn't allow a thief to rob his family of their belongings. These examples and many others depict our feelings of ownership and love for the things we hold dear to our hearts. What's mine is mine!
In the book of 2 Samuel chapter 3 we see a story that reminds me of how dear we hold our possessions to us. To give you a little background, King Saul, the leader of God's people, is dead. The kingdom is divided, some still clinging to Saul's part of the kingdom, and the others under rule of David, the man anointed to be the King of Israel by God himself. King Saul had a captain in his army named Abner. Abner, after being accused of immorality and offended by one of Saul's sons, decides to help out David instead. Abner sends messengers to David asking him if he would like to strike up a deal with him. Abner says he will "help bring the whole country of Israel over to you (David)." David agrees to a deal with Abner, but the condition he gives is that Abner must bring Michal back to him. Michal is King Saul's daughter and David's first wife who was given to David by Saul for slaying Goliath and 100 other Philistines. David had to leave Michal with her father, because Saul had tried many times to kill David because of jealousy. When Abner brings Michal, who has since married another man, Paltiel, he follows his wife sobbing. In a place called Bahurim, Abner turns to this sobbing husband and tells him to go home.
At first, when reading this story, I find myself feeling so awful for Paltiel. No doubt he loves Michal, because we see him showing emotion at her loss. He is losing his wife to a king. It doesn't quite seem fair, does it? The more I thought about this story, the more my feelings began to shift. You see, Michal belonged to David FIRST. She was his first wife who he loved and worked very hard to obtain. Over the time that they had to be apart, which was quite some time, he must have never stopped thinking of her. Yes, he married more wives, and she married another man, but it makes me wonder if they always thought of each other and longed for each other. She belonged to him and he belonged to her. Circumstances caused them to have to be apart, but maybe they always desired to be together in their hearts.
Sometimes in our lives, our King, God, requires us to give up some things. We can identify with Paltiel, Michal's husband, when we are asked to give these things up. We are upset and sad, because we want to keep the things we see as "belongings" to ourselves. God may ask us to give up our time, money, desires, plans, tv shows, and most of all our hearts. He desires our lives. It can be a painful exchange for us giving these things up. It doesn't always seem fair. Why should I have to give up more of my paycheck, didn't I work hard to earn it? Why does God want me to take time to disciple someone, can't he just have the pastor to do that? Why can't I fulfill my dreams for my life, God? These and many other questions may swirl through our minds as we try to wrestle our "toy" from God.
Paltiel followed his wife until they reached a place called Bahurim. The word Bahurim means choice. At some point in our lives, we have to make a choice. Am I willing to let God have those things in my life that he desires? Am I willing to sacrifice my entire life and all that I am for my Savior? Do I love him enough to be willing to let some things go? We have to make a choice. Not to say it's going to be easy, because we all know that giving up our desires for God is painfully difficult. It's as if a piece of us is being torn away. The difference between King David and our God is this...David gave nothing to Paltiel in exchange for taking Michal. God always replaces those things that we must give up to him. In fact he doesn't just replace them, he multiplies and gives us exceedingly, abundantly above what we had before. But he will only do this if we surrender to his will.
We can't say "What's mine is mine" to God. In reality, it all belongs to him anyways, just like Michal really belonged to David first. 1 Corinthians 6:20 says that "You are bought with a price." When we choose to become a follower of Christ, we are choosing to give it all away in devotion to the Savior. We are choosing his will over our's, his plan over our's, his desires over our desires. My life isn't my own. It belongs to him. Whats's His is His...
