Happy Tuesday to you!
1 Samuel 21:7 Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the Lord; his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chief of Saul’s shepherds. 8 David said to Ahimelech, “Is there no spear or sword here with you? I did not bring my sword or my weapons with me, because the king’s business required haste.” 9 The priest said, “The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you will take that, take it, for there is none here except that one.” David said, “There is none like it; give it to me.” 10 David rose and fled that day from Saul; he went to King Achish of Gath. 11 The servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” 12 David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of King Achish of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them; he pretended to be mad when in their presence. He scratched marks on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle run down his beard. 14 Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me? 15 Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
Today I switched the format of the post by putting the scripture before the devotional. I wanted you to understand the place that David was in because many of you are in the same place. God promised David that he would be king. God anointed David to be king. You think that the promise and the anointing would be enough for David to rest at night. Nevertheless, the truth is that Saul’s continuous assassination attempts caused David to experience moments of overwhelming anxiety. If you are familiar with the book of Psalms, then you know David’s amalgam of emotions as he dealt with Saul's betrayal. The reality of his [seemingly] imminent death caused David to flee, cry in despair, and feel great sorrow.
Over time, another reality became more apparent to David. God’s sovereignty will never end. God’s Word never fails. Every Word of God is sure. Therefore, Saul’s attacks were merely show. None of his assaults against David would prevail. In fact, the more Saul pursued David’s life, the closer Saul approached his own demise. His attacks against David were a sign of him trying to maintain control. If David wasn’t as in tune as he was with God, he would’ve missed out on the fact that he would come out victorious. Saul’s demise was just as certain as David’s victory.
The saying that the night is always darkest before dawn sounds cliche. Yet, it is true. You see its truth in the history of King David. You will also see its truth in your own life. The noisier, the crazier, the messier things seem, remember: God’s promise over your life overcomes all things. Your pending defeat is merely an illusion. As King David said in Psalm 23, it’s only death’s shadow. In conclusion, I remind you to be still and see the salvation of the Lord. Or, to put it in laymen’s terms, God’s got you. It’s all good. Even when it seems like it is not. King David made the transition from anxiety to confidence in God to immense gratitude (check out Psalm 34, Psalm 37, and Psalm 150). Now it's your turn!
Flee from fear, run towards faith, and give God your best praise all the while.