When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites. And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you. Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him.” So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him. (2 Samuel 10:9-13 ESV)
Joab got it. As a general in David's army he knew that he needed to be courageous not for his own sake, but for the sake of his people, the people of God. And he knew it was not his courage that would win the battle - it was the LORD. This battle changed the course of history. This win set in place a series of wins so that all of the surrounding countries made peace and submitted to Israel. If we read on, who got the credit? Not Joab, but David, and the Lord. May we, like Joab, realize it's not all about me, yet we need to be courageous for Him and others.
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