It’s so easy to think it’s mine. So easy to forget that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Lights” (James 1:17). Easy to forget that it’s all a gift . . . and somehow start thinking I earned it and so I deserve it. My reading this morning in 1Samuel’s got me tracking on this line of thought. Kind of buried amidst a complicated story of deception involving David and the lords of the Philistines (1Sam. 27, 29, 30), God sets up a scenario where, in a place you might least expect to find it, grace jumps off the page. And, as I think about, it all comes down to the fact that grace is not about being fair.

So, here’s the “Pete’s Notes” summary of the plot line. Fearing Saul, David heads to the land of the Philistines and manages to convince at least one of the reigning kings there that he and his rag tag group of 600 men, along with their wives and children, are refugees. They seek a kind of “political asylum” as they convince Achish, king of Gath, that not only is Saul done with David, but that David and his entourage are done with Saul and the Israelites. David cleverly maintains a rouse that convinces Achish of David’s loyalty . . . so much so, in fact, that when all the kings of the Philistines rally together to go to war against Israel, David is invited (probably more of a “strong suggestion”) by Achish to join the Philistine army. But the rest of the Philistine kings don’t trust David and dismiss him and his army and send them back to their home, Ziklag.

David and Co. return only to find that while they were away, their town had been visited by marauding Amalekites who raided the city, razed the city, and took all their women, children, and livestock for their own. After inquiring of the Lord, David and his men head out to rescue their families and recover their possessions. So all 600 men head out but, along the way, 200 men simply run out of gas. They are exhausted . . . unable to keep after the Amalekites. And so David leaves them behind at the brook Besor (1Sam. 30:9). And, as a weary army at 66% fighting capacity, David and the remaining men overtake the Amalekites . . . wipe them out . . . rescue their families . . . return their livestock . . . AND . . . end up with all the Amalekites flocks and herds as plunder. Now here’s where it gets interesting.

When David and his men return to the 200 left behind and it becomes evident that David is about to not only return family and possessions to the 200, but also share with them the spoils of their victory, there arises some “wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David” who object to the 200 sharing in the spoils. There reasoning? They didn’t go . . . they didn’t fight . . . the don’t deserve any of the plunder (1Sam. 30:22). Ok, I get the logic of the argument. They way my kids might have put it when they were younger is, “How come she gets some. She didn’t help. That’s not fair!!”

But you know what? Praise God, that it’s not about what’s fair! Amen? Check out David’s response:

But David said, “No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us. Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike — those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.” (1Samuel 30:23-24 NLT)

Bam! Grace rears it’s glorious head! True, says David, they didn’t go into battle . . . they did run out of gas . . . but “brothers” . . . and we are family . . . what we’re bringing back is what the Lord has given us. No way we should have won that battle . . . but God is good . . . the battle was the Lord . . . and we share in the spoils. How can we be selfish with the goodness of God . . . how can we not show favor on others given the favor shown us.

I love it! We’re family. What we have is only because of what God has given. And grace received should result in grace being given. And that’s not fair! Hallelujah!