Let Us not Despise Little beginings

1st samuel 22:2 (KJV)

And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt and everyone that was discontented ngathered themselves unto him andb he became a captain over them, and there were with him about 400 men.

David started from the bottom and he made it to the top. While he was raising his army, he passed through so many difficultiesw because the bible let us know that it was those that were in distress, those that were in debt and those that lived uncomfortable lives that came unto him. He did not despise them. He did not treat them as worthless. He did not ask them to go back and stay away from him; but he accepted them unto himself and respected them.
They did not have any weapons to start with; probably only David had a weapon. We are going to see what God did with their lives.

Now how did David respect them
2nd Samuel 23:14-17

¹⁴ David was then in the stronghold, while the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. ¹⁵ David had a craving and said, “Oh that someone would give me water to drink from the well of Bethlehem which is by the gate!” ¹⁶ So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, and drew water from the well of Bethlehem which was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord; ¹⁷ and he said, “Be it far from me, O Lord, that I should do this. Shall I drink the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it. These things the three mighty men did.

He knew the men risked their lives to bring him the water, He therefore did not drink it but poured it out as a sacrificial offering to the Lord. Although he really needed to drink water, but he just couldn't drink that particular water. This act of love made the men know that David truly loved and respected them.
Now hear what the men told him in 2nd Samuel 21:17

But Abishai the son of Zeruiah came to his aid and attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then David's men swore to him, “You shall no longer go out with us to battle, lest you quench the lamp of Israel.”
  
What height of loyalty!!!

Can you imagen how those three men did it. They broke into the enemy camp and fought their way through until they got to the well; then one of them started fetching while the others were fighting. Am sure the enemy soldiers would even laugh when the found out that they broke into their camp just to fetch water. What manner of loyality!!!

Now see what mutual understanding and love between david and his men brought him.
Am sure that if David's men were outside and they mistakenly overheard a stranger speak ill of David they will kill the person immediately

Do we also realize that david never judged his men. Do we remember when Achish one of the philistine rulers asked David to go back in peace because the other pkilistine rulers did not approve of him going into battle with them. 1st Samuel 29:1

In chapter 30 when his men got back to ziklag the amalekites had taken their children and wives and families and burned thei town to the ground. When David found strenght in the Lord his God. He decided to pursue but two hundred of his men were too tired to pursue but the remaining fourhundred continued in the pursuit.
God gave them victory and they recovered all and even more. Nothing was missing.

1st samuel 30:22

But all the evil men and troublemakers among David's followers said, "Because they did not go out with us, we will not share with them the plunder we recovered. However, each man may take his wife and children and go."
 
But David did not judged them or treat them with contempt but he said in

1st Samuel 30:23-24

David replied, "No, my brothers, you must not do that with what the LORD has given us. He has protected us and delivered into our hands the raiding party that came against us.

Who will listen to what you say? 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."
 

He said they should share with their brothers equally and he also sent plunder to all others who were in Judah and other lands where his men had roamed; Why wont they be loyal to him.

Now let us look at the end product of David and his army before he finally became king

2nd samuel 23:14
2nd chronicles 11:10

One of his men armed with a spear killed 800 men in one encounter

One of them stood his ground when other soldiers ran away and fought till his hand froze to the sword

One of them armed with only a spear killed 300 enemy soldiers

One of them pursued a lion into a pit on a snowy day and killed it

One of them killed a huge egyptian with a knife while the egyptian was armed with a spear 


God Bless you as you learn from David.