“As his part is who goes down to the battle, so shall his part be who tarries with the stuff; they shall share alike” (1 Sam. 30:24).

        When David recovered the city of Ziklag from the Amalekites, some of his men did not want to share the spoil with 200 who had stayed behind at the brook Besor. David ruled that those who stayed by the supplies should share equally with those who went into the battle.

        For every soldier who engages in combat, there are several who work behind the lines. In the U.S. Army in World War II, only about 30% of the troops were in combatant units. The others were support personnel, serving in such units as engineer, quartermaster, communications, ordnance, chemical, transportation, and military government.

        There is a parallel to this situation in the work of the Lord. Although all Christians are soldiers, not all are in the front line of battle. Not all are preachers, or evangelists, or teachers, or pastors. Not all are missionaries serving on the battle fronts of the world. God has support personnel in His army too. There are His faithful prayer warriors who agonize daily until the tide of battle turns. There are His devoted stewards who live sacrificially so that they can send more money to the front. There are those who provide food and accommodations for those who are in face-to-face conflict with the enemy. Then think of those who type, edit, and print Christian literature that will one day carry the message to distant lands. Think of the women of excellence who minister in the home, raising sons and daughters for the service of the King. For everyone in the thick of the battle, there are several others serving as support personnel.

        When the rewards are passed out, those who had supportive roles will share equally with those who were acclaimed as war heroes. Those who served quietly behind the lines will share equal honors with the evangelical celebrities.

        God is able to sort it all out. He can accurately measure the importance of everyone’s contribution. There will be plenty of surprises. Inconspicuous people whom we thought to be fairly unimportant will be seen to have occupied crucial positions. Without them, we ourselves would have been powerless.

                (From One Day at a Time, July 30, Gospel Folio Press, Grand Rapids, Michigan.)