David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow him and who were left behind at the Besor Valley. 1 Sam. 30:21

Do you ever feel left behind or forgotten? I’m sure most of us have experienced this, sadly some feel this way more than others. One thing I have learned from doing church ministry is no matter how hard you try there will always be people at the front, and always people working in the background. The background people often go unnoticed and unappreciated. Despite their hard work, despite their effort, sometimes no one even knew they were there. Often the person at the front gets all the glory and attention.  In these verses 200 of David’s men find themselves in this exact same scenario. They have been left behind, worse still, those who pressed ahead wanted to make sure these ‘behind the scenes’ people were not acknowledged or rewarded. The Bible calls the people who acted this way ‘the evil men and troublemakers’ (1 Sam. 30:22). There will always be people who try to take credit and glory for themselves. They want to push themselves forward, they are willing to make a noise in order to be noticed. Remember Jesus said people who behave this way have already received their reward and Jesus called this behaviour hypocritical (Matt. 6:2). So, let’s consider the people who have been ‘forgotten’. Often, they feel trapped, they want people to notice them, but to draw attention to themselves seems false. They want to be noticed simply for who they are and for what they have done without having to ask.

People have fought over attention and admiration since the fall of man. The sad fact is that it’s highly unlikely that people will change. So, when we feel invisible, we must remember that God sees us. While other people will at times pass us by, Jesus does not. When we feel ignored, when we feel overlooked, we must never make the mistake of thinking God also feels this way about us. One of Jesus messianic titles was the ‘Son of David’, meaning ‘with a character like David’. How did David deal with this situation, how did David care for the overlooked and undervalued?

Firstly, he took the time to notice the unnoticed; ‘As David and his men approached, he asked them how they were’ (1 Sam. 30:21). No matter if you are the leader or not, or if you are getting the recognition you deserve, make sure you recognise others. Be kind and caring. Jesus said whoever offers even a cup of cold water to a child, they will certainly not lose their reward (Matt. 10:42). Doing even the smallest gesture of kindness is something Jesus taught us to do.

Secondly, David rebuked those who wanted to hog the glory; ‘David replied, “No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the Lord has given us’” (1 Sam. 30:23). Any good leader should try to ensure that the recognition is not only given to high profile people. This can be quite tricky, but credit should go to whom it is due. Each of us should ensure that our ambition is not for recognition, even if this seems rightly deserved. Our own conscience should be content knowing we have done right regardless of the appraisal of others. We must be assured within ourselves that God sees us and that alone is enough.

Thirdly and finally, David ensured that the reward was distributed correctly; ‘“The share of the man who stayed with the supplies is to be the same as that of him who went down to the battle. All will share alike.” David made this a statute and ordinance for Israel from that day to this’ (1 Sam.  30:24-25). We might try to encourage the one feeling neglected by reassuring them that ‘God knows’, and ‘God will (eventually) reward each of us’. It can be all too easy for someone feeling passed over to take this as nothing more than a patronising pat on the back. This is not so. The accolades of man are only temporary; however, the commendation of Christ is eternal! To say that God sees us and God will reward us for everything we do is not a mere consolation it is incredible!

Whether you feel valued or undervalued, the correct response is to look to Christ. We should never try to secure our own praise; we should give the praise to Him, and to Jesus alone. God sees everyone and He will apportion to everyone what they deserve. I would rather wait for God to give me recognition, even if others overlook me, than try to somehow gain it by any other means.  

• Pastor Joseph Jones