When the Philistines banded together at a place where there was a field full of lentils, Israel's troops fled from them. But Shammah took his stand in the middle of the field. He defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory. 2 Samuel 23:11,12

When we feel threatened by something big and scary, our bodies go into "fight-or-flight" mode. In short, we get ready to fight what is threatening us or to run away from it. But there is another response that doesn't come from within us. It is the response of faith that God works.

SHAMMAH HAD FAITH

2 Samuel 23:11 tells us what was threatening Shammah and the Israelites. The Philistines had gathered at a bean field in Israelite territory. They weren't there for a picnic. They weren't carrying lawn chairs and coolers but swords and spears. They had gathered to attack. It was fight-or-flight time for the Israelites who acted on the flight side of the fight-or-flight response. All except for Shammah, that is.

Although 2 Samuel chapter 23 tells us Shammah was one of "David's mighty men," Shammah was not a reckless fool or a brave hero. He was just like you and me. As the Philistines charged, Shammah's fight-or-flight response kicked in. His heart started pounding, his breath quickened, his pupils dilated, and his hands got sweaty. A voice inside him started screaming, "Run! Run!" Then it said, "You're gonna die! You're gonna die!" But his response was not fight over flight. It was faith over fear.

Shammah knew that bean field belonged to the Lord, who had given it to his people, the Israelites. It was worth fighting for. And the fight, even with the odds he faced, wasn't foolish, since God had promised his people, "The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven" (Deuteronomy 28:7). God's Holy Spirit gave Shammah the faith to trust that promise, and the result was that "he defended it and struck the Philistines down, and the LORD brought about a great victory."

GOD GIVES US VICTORY

So what is threatening you these days? Is it the blow of losing something dear to you? Is it a pile of problems that you fear will collapse on you and bury you? Is it a temptation that charges at you like an enemy army? Is it guilt from your sins that feels like a dark dungeon where you will never again see the light of God's mercy? And how are you responding? Are you fighting a losing battle by trying to face these threats with strength and will that you don't have because you are a sinner? Are you just running away—maybe in fear or maybe in denial?