But Ittai answered the king and said, “As the Lord lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in whatever place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life,
even there also your servant will be.”
— 2 Samuel 15:21
ITTAI MADE A TOTAL commitment to David, although he had just arrived from Gath the day before. Many of David’s loyal friends were jumping ship and joining Absalom, yet here comes this stranger pledging undying loyalty to David. David wasn’t making any kind of enticing offers to Ittai, but this fellow figured that the worst David had to offer was better than the best that Absalom had to offer.
One of the tragedies of our age is the lack of true commitment.
People Are Unwilling To Make A Total Commitment To Anything.
In marriage, we may say “for better or for worse,” but as soon as things start getting worse, people want to bail out. The commitment they made was not a total commitment.
There is a great weakness in the church today. People accept the Lord, but then they vacillate. They show there is not a true, deep commitment to Jesus.
The kind of commitment Ittai made to David is the kind that Jesus desires from us today. He did not offer a cheap gospel or an easy path. But if you commit yourself completely to Him, your life will be full, joyous, and satisfying—because you’ll know you are right where God wants you to be.
Father, we realize we were at one time strangers in this world, alienated from You. How thankful we are that You chose us to be Your disciples and brought us to that place of commitment, “Lord, I’m Yours”.
In Jesus’ Name, Amen.