It was during a time of warfare, when David and some of his troops had withdrawn briefly from the battle and were sheltering in a cave. The Philistines were occupying Bethlehem at the time. Bethlehem had been David's home town, and there in the cave, he just happened to say, "Oh, I wish someone could bring me a drink of that lovely fresh water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem."
It wasn't a command; he didn't call some of his soldiers and order them to go and do that for him. It was simply a desire of his heart, perhaps said with a sigh, perhaps barely spoken above a whisper as they hid there in the cave.
But those men in the story were near enough that they happened to hear what David said, even though he said it to himself and not to anyone else in particular. So great was their love for their leader that the three of them set off and broke through Philistine lines, just so that they could draw water from that Bethlehem well and bring it back for David to drink. They weren't obeying an order from their army commander; they were doing something he hadn't even asked for, just because they knew it would bring joy to his heart.
The first time I read that story, it got me wondering about my own relationship with God. Not about whether I was obedient to His instructions or not, but whether I was going a step further than that .... whether I was close enough to hear the desires of His heart; whether I knew Him well enough to understand what would bring Him great joy, even if He hadn't specifically asked me to do those things for Him.
It's like when you go shopping for a birthday present for a family member or a friend you know really well. You look around the shop and you know exactly the sort of things that person would love. It's completely different from trying to buy a gift for someone that you don't really know very well.
I don't know how many soldiers were sheltering with David in the cave that day. Perhaps there were dozens of them; perhaps even hundreds. But only three of them were close enough to hear how much he dreamed of drinking that Bethlehem water. Only three of them cared enough to risk their lives in order to get hold of some of that water for him.
And so that day, and still today, I reflect on the kind of friend I am to God. Have I grown close enough to hear those deep desires of His heart, and do I love Him enough to go the extra mile in making His deep desires come true?
Being a courageous warrior was one way that David's men could serve him and show their loyalty. But being a close friend and hearing the desires of his heart was an expression of love on a completely different level.
