"So David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. Soon his brothers and all his other relatives joined him there. Then others began coming—men who were in trouble or in debt or who were just discontented—until David was the captain of about 400 men." (1 Samuel 22:1-2, NLT)
David was a man on the run. Saul was out to kill him, so David hid out in a cave. But, he had quite a following. Apparently, people knew who he was, and before long, he had an army of men totaling 400.
But, they're not just any men. They were "men in trouble, in debt, discontented". The Message Bible states, "but all who were down on their luck came around—losers and vagrants and misfits of all sorts". They were not the elite; they were not part of the Navy Seals. Not only was David having to be concerned for his life, he now had to look after hundreds of men who didn't have their lives together. However, later these men would form the core group of his military warriors.
David had excellent leadership qualities. These men saw something in David that they respected and admired. They wanted him to be the next king. And, he had the ability and resourcefulness to motivate and lead them.
It's easy being a leader when all your followers are physically, mentally and emotionally healthy. When they're not, you've got some challenges ahead. If the truth be known, most congregants have some baggage--most have some issues. But, God can take those we may consider to be "misfits" and turn them into the "fittest" if they will allow Him to do so. Just like the scene from "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" --- there's an Isle of Misfit toys. They don't seem to fit in. God wants to mend and fix people, making us new again, allowing us to be used in His army.
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