Last week we saw how David and his
men went and saved Keilah from the Philistines. But the minute the
Saul heard that David was there he wanted to go there and kill him.
God also revealed to David that the men of Keilah would deliver him
to Saul even though he just saved them from the Philistines. We
learned that we cannot put our trust in men. God alone is to be
honored and trusted with our lives.
Poor David had to flee again and he
stayed in strongholds in the wilderness of Ziph. The Bible tells us
that:
"Saul sought him every day, but
God did not deliver him into his hand." 1 Samuel 23:14
God was like a wall of protection
around David. And not only that, God sent Jonathan to encourage
David and to affirm again that he was going to be King:
"Then Jonathan, Saul's son,
arose and went to David in the woods and strengthened his hand in
God. And he said to him, "Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my
father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I
shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows it." 1 Samuel
23:16, 17
Once again isn't it wonderful how
Jonathan didn't fight the will of God. He was supposed to be king,
but he submitted himself to God and even went to encourage the one
who will be king instead of him. I really have so much respect for
him!
In the meantime Saul heard where
David was and pursued him there. So David had to go to the
wilderness of Maon, but Saul pursued him there as well. This time
Saul was succeeding in closing in on David. He and his men were on
the one side of the mountain and David and his men on the other
side. Saul was so close, he and his men were encircling David
and his men preparing to capture and kill them. It was a dire
situation for David. But just then a messenger came and told Saul
that the Philistines were invading the land. Saul then had to call
off his pursuit of David and rush back to fight the Philistines. Of
course it was all God's plan and His doing, saving his future king
yet again.
God will also protect us in the
same way. He will make sure that no enemy can close in on us if we
walk on His pathway for our lives. And when we get discouraged like
David, thinking that this situation will never end, He will send
someone to encourage us! I have personally experienced this many
times in my life. Just when I really get discouraged God sends
someone to encourage me to continue.
God's protection encircles us and
that is such joyful news to me. It made me think again of Psalm 91.
Allow me to quote verse 1-7 for you:
"He who dwells in the secret
place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the
Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
My God, in Him I will trust." Surely He shall deliver you from the
snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall
cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take
refuge; His truth shall be your shield and armor. You shall not be
afraid of the terror of the night, nor of the arrow that flies by
day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the
destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your
side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come
near you."
Isn't it stunning? It shall not
come near us. Why? Because God is for us. And notice verse 1. These
promises are to those who dwell in the secret place of the Most
High and who abide under His shadow. Now to dwell and to abide
means to stay there, to make your home there. Plus to be able to be
in someone's shadow you need to be close to him. Therefore see in
this Psalm that we need to stay close to Him, just like David did.
David trusted God without a shadow of a doubt. He knew that without
God he was nothing. And today we need to have that same
realization. We are so self-reliant and independent, but God is
calling us to depend on Him and Him alone. He wants to protect us
and help us, but if we run away and go on our own pathway, we are
not abiding in His Shadow. Rather come back and stay close to Him.
So close that you can breathe Him in. Then you will experience His
protection and His abundance freely available to us all.
Father thank you for everything
that You have provided for us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Thank
you for protecting us, thank you that we can trust in You and be at
peace. You are our Good Shepherd and will always look out for us.
We praise Your mighty Name! Amen