Heart of Provision

Text: 1 Samuel 30

Big Idea: We reflect God’s heart when we seek His direction, see others with compassion, and share what we have.

INTRODUCTION

Let me ask you a hard question: When people look at your life, do they see the heart of God — especially in how you care for others?

Our God is a provider. Not just of food or shelter, but of hope, direction, restoration, and grace. And if we are made in His image, saved by His Son, and filled with His Spirit, then we are called to reflect that heart of provision — especially when people are hurting, confused, or in need.

Joke:

A boy asked his mom for $20. She said, “What do you need it for?” He replied, “To help the poor.” She was touched. “Well, that’s kind of you. What poor person needs it?” He said, “Me.”

Read Scripture - David’s Wives Are Captured

30:1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.

And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed. But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.

They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights. And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago. We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire.” And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.”

David Defeats the Amalekites

And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah. And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled. David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all. David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, “This is David’s spoil.”

Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them. Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, “Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart.” But David said, “You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us. Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.” And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.

When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, “Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the Lord.” It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir, in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa, 29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites, 30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach, in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.

Let’s be honest like the boy with the $20, we often focus on what we need from God. But 1 Samuel 30 invites us to consider what others need from us, and how we, like David, can develop a heart of provision.

Have you ever been in a moment where everything seemed lost? Where the fire had already burned, the damage had been done, and all you had left was grief? That’s exactly where David and his men find themselves in 1 Samuel 30.

Their home in Ziklag is destroyed. Their wives and children have been taken. Their strength is gone. And the very men who once followed David are now talking about killing him. But instead of breaking, David turns to the Lord — and what unfolds is a powerful example of what it looks like to have the heart of provision.

Too often we focus on what God can provide for us. But today, I want to challenge us to look at what it means to be providers — to reflect God’s heart in how we lead, love, and give to others.

POINT 1: We Must Seek God’s Direction to Provide for Others

📖 1 Samuel 30:6–8

David is distressed. Everything is in ruins. But instead of making a rash decision or blaming others, he strengthens himself in the Lord. Then he inquires of the Lord, asking:

“Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?”

God answers clearly:

“Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.”

David teaches us this truth: You cannot lead others into restoration if you’re not first grounded in God’s direction.

🪔 Illustration – William Booth & the Salvation Army

In 1846, a young man named William Booth was in a service led by evangelist James Caughey. The message was on Mark 11:24 — about learning to desire what God desires. Booth, a new believer, was drifting in his faith. But that night, the Holy Spirit convicted him deeply.

He realized that God’s desire was for His people to serve the poor, preach the gospel, and live sacrificially. Booth left that service with renewed direction — and eventually founded The Salvation Army, an organization that has fed, clothed, and ministered to millions around the world.

It all started because he stopped and sought God’s direction.

✅ Application:

If you want to reflect the heart of God, start by seeking His direction. You cannot provide spiritually, emotionally, or physically for others if you're spiritually empty and walking in your own wisdom.

Ask:

Who is God calling me to rescue?

What burdens has He placed on my heart?

What step of obedience is He asking me to take?

POINT 2: We Must See People the World Overlooks

📖 1 Samuel 30:11–15

As David and his men pursue the Amalekites, they come across a half-dead Egyptian slave abandoned by his master. Instead of ignoring him, they give him food, water, and care. Only after his strength is restored do they find out that he holds the key to finding their enemy.

David didn’t just use the man — he cared for him. That’s the heart of provision. Seeing the broken before they can give you anything in return.

🪔 Illustration – Prince Edward and the Forgotten Soldier

In 1934, Prince Edward visited a hospital caring for severely wounded World War I veterans. He shook every soldier’s hand — until he noticed he had only met 29 men out of 36.

When he asked where the others were, the head nurse said, “The rest are too disfigured. You don’t need to see them.”

But the prince insisted.

He visited each remaining man, speaking kind words to those the world had hidden. Finally, they reached the last patient — blind, maimed, and horribly disfigured. The nurse begged the prince not to go in, but he entered the dark room, stood in silence, and then bent down to kiss the man’s cheek.

That is compassion. That is seeing the unseen.

✅ Application:

Who are the people in your life that others overlook? The lonely student, the struggling coworker, the family in quiet crisis? A heart of provision doesn’t just help when it’s easy — it seeks out the forgotten, the voiceless, the weak.

Don’t miss divine appointments because you’re too focused on your own mission. Sometimes your greatest ministry is in the margin.

POINT 3: We Must Share What God Has Given Us

📖 1 Samuel 30:21–25

After defeating the Amalekites and recovering all the stolen goods, David’s men return victorious. But the 400 who fought don’t want to share the spoils with the 200 who stayed behind, too exhausted to go on.

David stops them:

“You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us... For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike.”

And from that day forward, this became a law in Israel.

David knew the victory wasn’t by their might but by God’s provision. And what God provides is meant to be shared.

🪔 Illustration – John Brentz and the Hen

During the Reformation, John Brentz, a close friend of Martin Luther, was being hunted by soldiers of Emperor Charles V. In prayer, he felt God say, “Take a loaf of bread and hide in the upper part of town.”

He obeyed. He found an open door, climbed into the attic, and stayed hidden. The single loaf of bread wouldn’t have lasted more than a couple days. But every day, a hen came to the attic, laid an egg, and left without a sound.

For 14 days the hen came — just enough provision to survive. On the 15th day, it didn’t come. That same day, John overheard townspeople say, “They’re gone now.” God had provided, just enough, just in time.

And John Brentz knew: this provision wasn’t just for him — it was a testimony to others of God’s faithfulness.

✅ Application:

If God has blessed you — with income, time, wisdom, or comfort — it’s not just for you. It’s for others, too.

David didn’t hoard the spoils; he shared them. And he even sent gifts to elders in nearby towns (v. 26–31) as a blessing and a statement: “Here is a present from the enemies of the Lord.”

You were never meant to be a reservoir. You were meant to be a river — letting God’s provision flow through you to others.

CONCLUSION

David’s story in 1 Samuel 30 teaches us more than how to recover what’s lost. It teaches us how to reflect God’s heart:

Seek God's direction.

See the overlooked.

Share what you've been given.

Let me remind you: Someone around you is living in a Ziklag moment — burned down, broken, barely holding on.

Will you show up with a heart of provision?

Jesus did. He saw us in our ruin and rescued us at the cross. He gave all He had so that we could be restored. That’s the ultimate provision.

So now we ask: Will we reflect His heart?