<TITLE>14. Par 117-124</TITLE>L-117 David in all of his flusteration, walking back and forth, and thinking, "Oh, this hot day, whew, oh, it's so hot. Oh, Saul might come from this way, the Philistines from this way; armies around everywhere, and here we are setting in the mouth of a cave, and yet the anointing oil on me. How can it be, O God? How can it be? Oh, I wished I had a drink." Then his mind goes back to way down there by the gates of Bethlehem, there was a well. There just was no water like that water.
You know, Palestine has some bad water. They have evil waters, and they have even to blackwater fever, and stuff, in them. And a lot of it is alkaline water, which would kill you.

L-119 But Bethlehem is the water seat of the province too. There was no water like Bethlehem had. David used to think, "When I take my sheep and start out of a morning, I'd go by that old well and drink. Oh, how cool and how sweet, and how it quenched the thirst."
Now his throat's a-going, yet anointed, "Oh, if I only had a drink of water." Now, his warriors... And he screamed out in his despair, "Oh, if someone would bring me a drink again from that old well yonder at Bethlehem." Oh, after dreaming of all of his childhood days and the victories, and see him in the place where he's setting here between the fires, he screamed, "Oh, if someone could bring me water from Bethlehem."

L-121 Now, his warriors could not interpret his thinking, but, brother, they loved him with all that was in them. The least of his desires was a command to them. Three of his mighty warriors pulled their swords, slipped off from the camp, and cut their way, twenty-five miles. David, in their going, no doubt wondered, "Where they at? What have they done? Where did they go to? Did they know they're jeopardizing their life?" They're right in the jaws of death, through a twenty-five-mile line, laying in ambush everywhere, and the swords a flickering, and the shields a blasting; but their men, their brother that they believed that would be king, desired a drink.

L-122 Oh, brother, I wonder if the warriors today are willing to cut their way through formalism, doubts, and unbelief to refresh in the Presence of the Lord, His desires? "The least of Your desires; if it's Africa, India, if it's to the street, wherever it is, the least of Your desires, Lord, is my command. Death don't mean a thing to me. Popularity, my--what I am, what I will be, means nothing, Lord. It's to fulfill Your desires." That's the warriors that's standing by the side of Him. "If they call me a holy-roller, if my name is scandalized, if they kick me in the street, that doesn't matter. Your desire is my command." That's the real soldier.

L-123 What did they do? They fought their way through until they got to that well. They dipped the bucket of water out. And here they come back, fighting, cutting their way from right to left, and they're coming to the presence of David. Said, "Here you are, my lord." Oh, my. What? A man that was disgraced, a man that was hated by the church, a man that was hated by the king, a man that was hated by the Philistines, a man that was hated everywhere nearly. But a little group that followed him, they knew that he was the coming king.

L-124 Today, I know we sing great songs; we build great churches; we have great anthems and everything; we praise to Him like that; but Jesus said, "In your hearts you're far from Me, for you teach for doctrine the commandments of men." Let the Holy Spirit come in and do something in their church, showing the Presence of Jesus Christ, they'll kick you out the door. "In vain do you worship Me. They worship, but in vain do you do it, teaching for doctrine the traditions of men."
But there's warriors who believe Him. There's warriors who stand by it with a spiritual understanding, like in little Bethlehem yonder. See? Sure, it was.


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