THE BLESSING OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

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David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day, Saul searched for him but God did not give David into his hands.

While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? Now, O king, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king."

Saul replied, "The Lord bless you for your concern for me. Go and make further preparation. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah."

So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah, south of Jeshimon. Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land."

Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth (rock of parting).

And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

1 Samuel 23:14-29

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Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:1-2, 6-8

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever found yourself discouraged…feeling down and out…perhaps even feeling defeated?

Life can lead us there sometimes, particularly when we are going through the midst of a trial. Whether it is health-related, work-related, financially-related, or relationship-related, these tribulations can sometimes span large periods of time, possibly up to years at a time…and in the midst of so much time spent in hardship, a person can easily wear down, find their spirits crushed, and lose the energy or will to persevere.

Maybe you can relate to this because I know I can.

Well we know David was going through this kind of challenge as we continue studying the scriptures found in 1st Samuel, chapter 23. You’ll recall that Saul, the first king of Israel, had been pursuing him relentlessly which meant David always had to be on the move to stay one step ahead of him. And what made matters even worse was the number of people willing to betray and expose David to Saul, leaving him unsure of who he could trust.

As this passage opens, we find David “at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph” where he once again learns that “Saul had come out to take his life”. Tired and weary from running, David was in need of encouragement and God sent him just that in the way of his good friend, Jonathan.

Maybe you have experienced this as well. For just when you were at wits end over some situation, the Lord sent someone to you who was an encourager…one who lifted you up, renewed your spirit, and helped you to carry on. I know I have experienced this more times than I can count.

So in his great time of need, God sends Jonathan to David, meeting him at Horesh where he helped David “find strength in God”. Look again at Jonathan’s words of comfort and hope:

"Don't be afraid…My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this."

In other words, Jonathan is telling David he had nothing to be afraid of for Saul would “not lay a hand” on him. Instead, David would end up taking over as king…supplanting Saul and bringing new leadership to Israel with Jonathan his second in command. When all would be said and done, David was not going to die nor be defeated. Rather, it would be Saul who would ultimately lose…and Jonathan assures David that his father even fully knew that his days were numbered.

Imagine what a boost this must have been to David’s spirits.

Well, Jonathan would leave David in Horesh after providing his encouragement and making a new covenant with him in the presence of the Lord. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be long before David would face yet another challenge…but this time, he was reinforced and prepared to deal with what would come. Ultimately, he knew he would have the victory.

This challenge came when the “Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah”, telling him that David was in their territory. We read where they asked Saul to come so they could hand David over to him, underscoring the danger he faced from those who aligned themselves with his enemy. Yet, we see that no matter how shifty people tried to be, they could never overcome the Lord’s presence and protection over His chosen leader.

And so Saul sends the Ziphites away and asks them to return with specific information about David’s location so he could kill him. Almost comically, he even exploits the Lord’s name and blessing to extend favor towards the Ziphites were about to do…all when he couldn’t be further from being holy or pious. Almost equally humorous was Saul calling David crafty when it was he who was the schemer.

Back to the scriptures where we see the Ziphites return ahead of Saul and inform him that David and his men were in the Desert of Maon. Armed with the information, Saul advances, hoping to finally get his hands on David…but in a scenario that could be nothing short of God-driven, we read where Saul and his men were advancing “along one side of the mountain” while David and his men “were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul”.

Had things continued to proceed, Saul would have probably caught up with David eventually but he suddenly received news came that changed his plans. For the Philistines had attacked and raided Saul’s territory causing Saul to end “his pursuit of David” and leave to “meet the Philistines”. For the moment at least, David would escape harm, just as Jonathan had promised, and so he went up with his men to live in the “strongholds of En Gedi”…no doubt buoyed up in spirit after escaping harm again.

Through today’s scripture passage, the Lord is showing us the critical importance of encouragement…and we see it on two fronts.

First, it’s important to receive encouragement in times of need and we should embrace and give thanks for it when offered.

You see, too often we tend to rebuff others when we’re going through tough times. We like to isolate ourselves and internalize our issues, not bothering others with our problems…and this includes the Lord, the only One who can truly help up. We falsely assure ourselves that we have enough strength to deal with matters on our own and by doing this, we end up bottomed out, depressed and despaired…because we lose the hope, faith, and strength needed to stand firm against the difficulties we’re dealing with.

Friends, we need encouragement nearly as much as we need air to breathe during difficult times for the issues of life can suck the very life from us if we allow them to.

But it doesn’t need to be that way.

For we can…and we need to confide in someone during hardship and remain open to receive and accept the encouragement they can bring us. With this, we need to never forget that we have no greater friend than the Lord Himself…the One who promised to never leave us nor forsake us…the only One who can provide us the power we need to persevere through tough times.

In the scriptures today, the Lord sends Jonathan to help lift David up and provide words to strengthen him in the midst of Saul’s murderous intent. For you or me, it could be anyone else the God might choose and send to us.

And this leads me to the second point on encouragement…for we all should seek to be encouragers for others.

The truth of the matter is that the Lord is ready to use any of us in this way if we stay open and available for Him to do so. He places us in the midst of people each and every day…and we never know what someone might be going through. A mere chance encounter could turn into an opportunity to meet someone in the midst of their difficulties and provide words of comfort and/or encouragement to them. Maybe this comes in the way of words to help them or just simply saying nothing and just using the gift of listening intently for sometimes that’s all we need to do for another…hear them out and let them get matters out in the open that have been weighing them down. I know I’ve gained a great deal of relief and release at times just by getting frustrations off my chest…and the Lord has blessed me through the years with wonderful people who have been willing to hear me in my times of need. And in turn, I have been blessed by God to be able to help many other people who also needed someone to confide in and talk through their life situation.

At its core, that’s a large part of what ministry is all about and every day, I give thanks to the Lord that He uses me to encourage others daily, like when I get to write messages like this one. The good news is that God stands ready to use you the same way…to extend the blessing of encouragement to someone.

I pray that you’ll take Him up on the offer.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

YOU'LL NEVER KNOW IF YOU DON'T ASK

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, "God has handed him over to me for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars." And Saul called up all his forces for battle to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod."

David said, "O Lord, God of Israel, Your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as Your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell Your servant."

And the Lord said, "He will."

Again David asked, "Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?"

And the Lord said, "They will."

So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place.

When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

1 Samuel 23:7-13

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

How many times do we wrongly assume things in life?

Too many, I’m afraid and I know I’ve made this mistake more times than I can remember…or want to.

Yes…assumptions can get us in trouble because we move forward with a false understanding on whatever matter we might be taking on…and more often than not, we find ourselves failing because we didn’t take the time to truly seek and find the real truth or right guidance before moving forward.

You see, assumptions are bad enough when we wrongly think we know what another person is thinking or wanting but they become even worse when we make assumptions about what God wants us to do without first consulting Him. The bottom line is that we’ll never truly know what God wants unless we ask Him and then submit to whatever He calls us to within whatever circumstances we might find ourselves in.

In today’s passage, we find a great contrast on the matter of assumption as we see in one case what we shouldn’t do…and in the other, what we should.

It should be of little surprise that we see Saul as the one who shows us what not to do, particularly in regard to failing to consult God. For Saul’s reputation for being self-absorbed proceeded him as we have already seen him consistently rely on his own understanding, even it led to failure time after time.

In these verses from 1 Samuel, chapter 23, we see where Saul is still after David, wishing for nothing less than finding and killing him. Such was the jealousy and hatred that burned within him.

You’ll remember that earlier in this chapter, David had rescued the people of Keilah against a Philistine attack after God assured him that He would hand the opposing forces over to him. We see where word of this battle traveled quickly, reaching Saul who hoped to find out David’s location and after hearing David was in Keilah, we see where Israel’s evil king made the mistake of assumption, saying:

“God has handed him over to me for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars."

And so feeling he had David right where he wanted him, Saul “called up all his forces for battle” and prepared to “go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men”.

We should note Saul’s serious error in judgment here for we never read where he ever consulted the Lord as to whether he should go to Keilah and attack David and his men. Perhaps, Saul had already made another assumption, an assumption that God would say, “No”, if he did ask Him, an answer that wouldn’t have been acceptable to him. Whatever his reasoning, we see where Saul makes the call to go after David and get rid of him once and for all.

Now, let’s look at the opposite of Saul in David…a man not only after God’s heart (1 Samuel 13:14) but a man who we see was after God’s guidance.

For the scriptures show us that Saul wasn’t the only one getting intelligence on the movement and whereabouts of opponents…David was as well. For we see that he “learned that Saul was plotting against him” and so he had Abiathar, the son of Ahimelech and David’s appointed priest, to bring him the ephod he brought from Nob.

As soon as he received this, David turned directly to the Lord for direction saying:

“O Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant."

Here, we see David showing how he knew the only right way to face his uncertain future was to turn to the One, the Lord, who knew what his future held. There was no one else could help him outside of God because no one else knew.

As Christians today, we need to keep this in mind as well as we deal with our own life circumstances. For just as with David, no one but the Lord knows what we are going through and what we will go through before it even happens. And what a blessing it is to know that when we do go to Him, we can always trust His advisement as truth because He never lies. It was this truth that David sought and that’s what he received as God let him know that Saul would indeed come after him.

So David knew that Saul was coming for him but there was one final thing he needed to know…whether he could trust the people of Keilah…the very people he had defended when fighting the Philistines.

We read where David goes to the Lord and asks whether or not the people of Keilah would surrender him and his men to Saul and sadly, the Lord revealed that they would. And so by seeking God for the truth, he (David) knew that he and his men were doomed to be betrayed and captured by Saul if they remained in Keilah. So they (David and his men…now numbering about six hundred) “left Keilah and kept moving from place to place” to keep from being discovered and attacked.

Meanwhile, Saul “was told that David had escaped from Keilah” and so he called off his attack and “did not go there”, leaving David and his men safe again…delivered to that place by the Lord.

So to sum things up…

Saul thought he knew the Lord’s will and was wrong because He didn’t ask for God’s counsel. His actions resulted in the negative results that we see mentioned in the following New Testament scripture passage in James:

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4:1-3

When it came right down to it, Saul didn’t succeed because of the evil within him…a sinful murderous obsession with killing David that caused him to rely on himself and turn away from God’s wisdom. He didn’t get what he wanted because he didn’t ask the Lord and even if he did, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t have received the answer he wanted because he would have been communicating with God through the wrong motives…seeking to kill David to satisfy his jealousy.

Conversely, David knew exactly what needed to do as well as what was to come because he asked the Lord. He realized that God was the only genuine source of truth he had and he trusted Him explicitly. As a result, he was rewarded for his faithfulness when he and his men were spared from the hands of Saul and the people of Keilah, and able to flee to safety. David’s actions were supported by this passage from James:

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. 1:5-8

When it came right down to it, David believed in God and His ability to impart perfect direction in any and all circumstances…and in return, God granted him what he needed…just when he needed it.

So which of these two examples will we follow?

Will we decide to rely on ourselves and go through our days assuming what God wants us to do instead of asking Him so to ensure we’re carrying out His will fully?

Or will be like David, fully trusting and relying on God to guide and lead us through our circumstances, whatever they might be?

That decision really comes down to one more question…

How will we know what God’s will is for our lives unless we seek it from Him?

The truth is…we’ll never know unless we ask. Thankfully, our Lord is always waiting to hear from us and just a prayer away.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE LORD'S BLESSED REASSURANCE

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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When David was told, "Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors," he inquired of the Lord, saying, "Shall I go and attack these Philistines?"

The Lord answered him, "Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

But David's men said to him, "Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!"

Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, "Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand."

So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines, and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

1 Samuel 23:1-6

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In yesterday’s message from the closing verses of 1st Samuel, chapter 22, we saw tragedy reign supreme as Ahimelech and eighty-three other priests were slaughtered by Doeg the Edomite under the command from Israel’s evil king Saul. Additionally, everything in Ahimelech’s town, Nob, was destroyed as well which sadly included all the men, women, and livestock…all that is with the exception of Abiathar, one of Ahimelech’s sons. Miraculously, he managed to escape the slaughter at Nob and join David along with his four hundred fighting men in Judah.

Once hearing the news of the mass killing from Abiathar, you’ll recall that David felt responsible after remembering how Doeg, Saul’s head shepherd, was present and listening in when he had met with Ahimelech. David figured out that  Doeg had gone to Saul and informed him of everything he witnessed thus sealing the fate of Ahimelech, his family, and all of Nob. And so to try and compensate for it all, we saw where David told Abiathar to stay with him, vowing to provide him protection.

As chapter 23 opens, we see David is immediately confronted with a matter as his constant enemies, the Philistines, were “fighting against Keilah” and “looting the threshing floors”. Feeling called to action, note here that David doesn’t rely on his own decision making but instead goes to God asking:

“Shall I go and attack these Philistines?"

To which the Lord replied:

“Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah."

And so David went to his newly formed fighting force of four hundred men to tell them what they were to do but found out quickly that they weren’t quite as trusting and faithful as he was. For the scriptures tell us that they said:

“Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!"

Their pushback led to David to go back before the Lord, this time seeking reassurance that he and his men were indeed supposed to attack the Philistines at Keilah. We see where the Lord reassures David, giving him a second order to go and fight, vowing to “give the Philistines into (his) hand." And this is exactly what happened as David and his men went forth in the name of the Lord who delivered on his promise. For we read where the Philistines were soundly defeated, allowing David and his men to carry off their livestock and save the people of Keilah.

This passage shows us two important points that we need to remember as we face challenges in our own lives.

First, we need to turn to the Lord for guidance when we are in need of knowing what to do.

In seeking guidance regarding how he should approach possible conflict with the Philistines as well as deal with the resistance of his own fighting forces, David showed an immediate desire to seek the Lord’s will for what should happen and when he did, we saw where the Lord provided just what he needed…just as He will do for us when we seek His direction in our own affairs.

Second, the Lord is always there to provide reassurance when we needed.

David was first told to go and attack the Philistines…and as he took that plan to his men, he ran into some unexpected opposition but David didn’t allow this to defeat him. Instead, he just went back to the Lord for reassurance…and He delivered, guaranteeing David that He would bring him victory. And that’s precisely what happened for anytime the Lord promises something, He keeps His word…something we should never forget.

When we are fearful, God tells us, “Do not be afraid.” (Psalm 118:6)  And we shouldn’t be…because He is Emmanuel…the God who is always with us…and always there for us.

When we think a situation is impossible, God reminds us that with Him, “Nothing is impossible.” (Matthew 19:26) He always will help us navigate through our challenging circumstances until we find our way to victory…not by our strength but His.

When we are in need of peace, He promises and grants us a peace that transcends understanding (Philippians 4:6-7), providing it through Jesus, the Son who He gave as the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)…a constant and consistent source of comfort when the storms of life form around us.

When we are languishing in the guilt of sin, He brings forgiveness (1 John 1:9).

While the world might demand judgment, He grants mercy and grace.

And when people feel we should be condemned, instead He loves us.

All we need do is to repent and tell God we’re sorry, asking Him to guide our steps onto the narrow path that leads to life and away from the destruction of disobedience (Matthew 7:13-14). Then, we must surrender our will for His so He can continue to use us as He sees fit to further His Kingdom here on earth, a Kingdom that grows when we commit ourselves to make disciples as Jesus called us to do.

When life brings us to a state of despair, He (our Lord) brings us hope, shining His light into the recesses of our difficulties for He is the Light of the world and whoever follows Him will never walk in darkness but instead have the light of life (John 8:12).

If life brings us trials and tribulations, all we need to do is keep our trust in our God, believing in His promises while knowing He is with us and for us so to bring us to victory just as He did David and his men.

Anchor yourself in the Word of the Lord and never cease to seek His counsel in prayer. When you do, you’ll always find His blessed reassurances.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

AT THE INTERSECTION OF GOOD AND EVIL

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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Now Saul heard that David and his men had been discovered. And Saul, spear in hand, was seated under the tamarisk tree on the hill at Gibeah, with all his officials standing around him. Saul said to them, "Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."

But Doeg the Edomite, who was standing with Saul's officials, said, "I saw the son of Jesse come to Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, at Nob. Ahimelech inquired of the Lord for him; he also gave him provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

Then the king sent for the priest Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob, and they all came to the king. Saul said, "Listen now, son of Ahitub."

"Yes, my lord," he answered.

Saul said to him, "Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"

Ahimelech answered the king, "Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."

But the king said, "You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."

Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."

But the king's officials were not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord.

The king then ordered Doeg, "You turn and strike down the priests."

So Doeg the Edomite turned and struck them down. That day, he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. He also put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys, and sheep.

But Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David. He told David that Saul had killed the priests of the Lord. Then David said to Abiathar: "That day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, I knew he would be sure to tell Saul. I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family. Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."

1 Samuel 22:6-23

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As 1st Samuel, chapter 22 opens, we find David and his four hundred men still on the lam from Saul and heading to the forest of Hereth in Judah after receiving a prophecy from Gad. To this point, David had been able to give Saul the slip but as our passage opens today, we see where Saul had “heard that David and his men had been discovered”.

Given this information, we see Saul turn his anger toward his officials who were “standing around him” as he sat “with spear in hand…under the tamarisk tree”, saying to them:

“Listen, men of Benjamin! Will the son of Jesse give all of you fields and vineyards? Will he make all of you commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds? Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today."

Saul expected to know everything that was going on and in order for this to happen, he expected that his officials keep him informed on what they knew. Privacy was not a consideration for Saul and he even wanted to know what his son was up to. And so not getting the information he felt he should have led to Saul accusing his men of conspiring against him…a treasonous act that would command the death penalty.

It was into this scene that we see his head shepherd, Doeg the Edomite, step in and interject what he had witnessed, no doubt to try and gain some special favor with Saul. He tells the king that “the son of Jesse” had “come to Ahimelech…at Nob” where the priest “inquired of the Lord for him”, also providing David “provisions and the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

This led Saul to feel that the priests were against him as well as his officials and so we read where he “sent for the priest Ahimelech…and his father's whole family, who were the priests at Nob”. Once there, Saul asks Ahimelech the same question he asked his officials saying:

"Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, giving him bread and a sword and inquiring of God for him, so that he has rebelled against me and lies in wait for me, as he does today?"

Well, unlike the officials who offered no response to Saul’s accusations, we see where Ahimelech didn’t hesitate to reply saying:

“Who of all your servants is as loyal as David, the king's son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard and highly respected in your household? Was that day the first time I inquired of God for him? Of course not! Let not the king accuse your servant or any of his father's family, for your servant knows nothing at all about this whole affair."

Here, we find Ahimelech speaking truth to Saul and any rational man would have opened his eyes to the wrong of their own ways, especially when they were being counseled by a priest of the God Most High. But unfortunately Saul wasn’t rational at this point. In fact, his thoughts and actions had been nothing short of sinful and wrong. And so the priest was hoping to bring Saul back to his senses to a place where the Lord wanted him to be…the place that would turn him toward right and righteous conduct.

And so Saul was at a critical decision point or you could also say he was standing at the intersection of good and evil. His next choice would show what path he was on.

You know, we sometimes find ourselves at this point as well in life…at the point where we have a decision to make after being presented with the pros of doing right against the cons of doing wrong. In other words, we have also stood at the same intersection that Saul found himself at.

In regard to that, Israel’s king could have stepped back from the situation after hearing what Ahimelech had to say, praying and seeking the Lord’s guidance. If he had done this, I don’t think there’s any doubt that the Lord would have convicted him of his transgressions and it would have put an end to his needless pursuit of David for Saul would have chosen to take the road that was good and godly.

But we know Saul didn’t do this. He never consulted God but relied instead on his own judgment. This led to him becoming judge and jury in regard to Ahimelech and his father’s family as he told the priest:

“You will surely die, Ahimelech, you and your father's whole family."

With this, we read where Saul gave his guards the following order:

“Turn and kill the priests of the Lord, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me."

This demand now placed the guards at the same intersection of good and evil that their king had been at. However, the outcome was different for the guards fully knew that it was totally wrong to attack anyone or anything that represented the Lord, despite Saul commanding them to execute Ahimelech, his fellow priests, and his father’s family.

And so the guards had a choice to make…whether to do right or wrong…good or evil...and thankfully, they chose to do what was right and good, “not willing to raise a hand to strike the priests of the Lord”.

So at this point, it looked like the priests and others were spared but unfortunately evil and the devil who manifests it can be a stubborn foe. If Satan can’t get his work done though one person or persons, he just looks for those who are willing to do his will. This happens within our passage in the person of Doeg the Edomite.

For we see where Saul, rebuffed by his officials, turns his attention to Doeg, a man who Saul knew would have no emotional connection to the priests…and thus would have no problem carrying out his evil intentions.

And Doeg didn’t disappoint.

For no sooner had Saul given him the order to “turn and strike down the priests” that we see Doeg spring into action, killing “eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod”…eighty-five men who had been enlisted and ordained by God for His service.

And with his bloodthirst unsatisfied, we read where Doeg also “put to the sword Nob, the town of the priests, with its men and women, its children and infants, and its cattle, donkeys, and sheep”. When it was all said and done, the death toll was incredible…and evil had reigned supreme because Doeg chose to walk that path with Saul from the intersection they had been at…the intersection of good and evil.

Well, as the chapter closes, we see where there is one positive that emerged from the bloody assault on the priests and everything they owned. For we read where “Abiathar, a son of Ahimelech, son of Ahitub, escaped and fled to join David” where he told him how “Saul had killed the priests of the Lord”. And as you would expect, David was distraught because he recalled being with Ahimelech and seeing Saul’s head shepherd, Doeg, present there. He felt that Doeg might return and tell Saul what he had seen and his intuition proved correct, leading David to feel accountable for the tragedy saying:

“I am responsible for the death of your father's whole family”.

And with that, David told Abiathar:

“Stay with me; don't be afraid; the man who is seeking your life is seeking mine also. You will be safe with me."

Abiathar’s father and family had been slain and we see that David was committed to make sure he didn’t lose anything more…including his own life. For now David and Abiathar shared something in common…Saul wanted them both dead.

In this scripture, we see various examples of people who were faced with having to make critical decisions regarding right and wrong…decisions that are required when we find ourselves at the intersection of good and evil.

So what will it be for us when we find ourselves there?

Will we do what was right like Saul’s officials, standing up for good even in the face of pressure to do otherwise? Will be always decide to stand firm in the Lord and seek to please Him with all we say and do, opting to travel the way that is right and good…the way that He will always guide us onto if we seek His help?

Or will we be like Saul and Doeg…deciding not to seek the Lord’s guidance and instead choosing the ways of sin and evil which are the ways of Satan?

Friends, there really isn’t any middle road here…no line to toe. We’re either going to make a choice to do right or wrong…good or evil.

My prayer is that we will always pick the good road when at the intersection. We always will as long as we stop to ask God for directions first.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

GOD...OUR EVER PRESENT HELP IN TIMES OF NEED

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In Christ, Mark

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David went to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. Ahimelech trembled when he met him and asked, "Why are you alone? Why is no one with you?"

David answered Ahimelech the priest, "The king charged me with a certain matter and said to me, 'No one is to know anything about your mission and your instructions.' As for my men, I have told them to meet me at a certain place. Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find."

But the priest answered David, "I don't have any ordinary bread on hand; however, there is some consecrated bread here—provided the men have kept themselves from women."

David replied, "Indeed women have been kept from us, as usual whenever I set out. The men's things are holy even on missions that are not holy. How much more so today!"

So the priest gave him the consecrated bread, since there was no bread there except the bread of the Presence that had been removed from before the Lord and replaced by hot bread on the day it was taken away.

Now one of Saul's servants was there that day, detained before the Lord; he was Doeg the Edomite, Saul's head shepherd.

David asked Ahimelech, "Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I haven't brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king's business was urgent."

The priest replied, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the Valley of Elah, is here; it is wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you want it, take it; there is no sword here but that one."

David said, "There is none like it; give it to me."

That day, David fled from Saul and went to Achish, king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands?’"

David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish, king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands, he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard. Achish said to his servants, "Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?"

David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father's household heard about it, they went down to him there. All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him and he became their leader. About four hundred men were with him.

From there, David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, "Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?"

So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold. But the prophet Gad said to David, "Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah."

So David left and went to the forest of Hereth.

1 Samuel 21, 22:1-5

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Have you ever found yourself desperately in need?

Maybe you experienced a life changing situation that taxed your finances.

Maybe you fell ill and that illness drastically changed your life plans and outlook.

Maybe you found yourself in danger from some circumstance.

Whatever the case, we can sometimes find ourselves in the midst of matters that leave us feeling helpless and even hopeless.

In our passage today, we see David in a situation like this. You’ll remember that he had just received final validation that his relationship with Saul had reached the point of no return, leaving him with one of two choices.

Either flee or die. Wisely, David chose to flee.

And so as 1 Samuel, chapter 21 opens, we find David on the lam…an innocent man pursued by a murderous king who would not rest until he (David) was dead.

So where could David go?

Who could he trust to help him?

Where would he find provisions…because he left with nothing but the clothes on his back?

All these questions would be answered by the Lord…who never stopped looking after David and ensuring that he was cared for all along the way.

The good news is that He does likewise for us when we enter into our own difficulties in life.

Back to our scriptures where we see David going to Nob after saying farewell to his dear friend Jonathan and it was there that he seeks out the priest Ahimelech who we see was initially afraid of David because of his reputation as a fierce warrior.

We see Ahimelech asking David why he came to him alone and without any men and David tells him a mistruth, stating that he had been sent on a special mission by the king. Because of the confidential nature of the mission, David adds his men had been given instructions to meet him “at a certain place” and then demands that the priest give him Ahimelech give him “five loaves of bread, or whatever you can find." Remember that David had no food and so was desperately in need of something to eat.

Responding to David’s request, we find Ahimelech telling David that he only had the “consecrated bread”…that is, the portion of bread that had been set aside for the Most Holy Place. The Law commanded that every Sabbath, new bread would be placed on the Table of the Presence, one loaf for each tribe of Israel. The bread that was removed from the table was reserved for the priests who were not employed in any other fashion than serving the Lord. Further, they received no inheritance per se and so it was the responsibility of the Israelites to ensure that they had adequate provisions.

We read where the twelve loaves of bread had just been swapped out and so Ahimelech agreed to give David the consecrated bread on one conditions. No one was to eat the bread if they were ceremonially unclean and this included David as well as his men. We also see how the priest placed an additional stipulation regarding David’s men, wanting to ensure that they had “kept themselves from women."

Well, after David assured Ahimelech that he and his men would comply, the scriptures tell us that the priest “gave him the consecrated bread”…also referred to as “the bread of the Presence”.

So now David had food but he also needed a weapon to defend himself and so he asked Ahimelech:

“Don't you have a spear or a sword here? I haven't brought my sword or any other weapon, because the king's business was urgent."

We see where the priest tells David that he had “the sword of Goliath the Philistine who David “killed in the Valley of Elah”. He tells David that he could find it “wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod” and so David took the weapon and went on his way, this time heading to Philistine territory and Achish, king of Gath.

At this point, all seemed well for David…but unfortunately there was a sinister presence at Nob. For the scriptures tell us that “one of Saul's servants was there that day”, a man by the name of ”Doeg the Edomite” who were told was “Saul's head shepherd”. As we will see later, Doeg seeing David with Ahimelech would soon spell trouble for those in Nob.

Back to the scriptures where we find David going to Achish and almost instantly facing a challenge. For we read where “the servants of Achish said this to him:

“Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances: ‘Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands?’"

In fear of being discovered and put to death by Achish, David “pretended to be insane in their presence”, acting “like a madman” by “making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard”. We read where his ploy worked because Achish said to his servants:

“Look at the man! He is insane! Why bring him to me? Am I so short of madmen that you have to bring this fellow here to carry on like this in front of me? Must this man come into my house?"

And with that, David escaped unscathed and went to “the cave of Adullam”.

Looking back at the events in this passage, we see that when David needed provision, the Lord provided it through the priest Ahimelech at Nob. Likewise, when he needed a way out of a potentially dangerous situation in Gath, the Lord provided him with the wisdom to act crazy in order to ensure he would escape danger.

In both incidents, the Lord showed He would and could provide David with whatever he needed, exactly when he needed it so to get out of difficult circumstances. We know that David was a man after God’s own heart…a man who had found favor and an anointing from His heavenly Father..and as a result, he found himself blessed.

Going back to the scriptures, we see where the Lord wasn’t done assisting David in his tough times. For as “his brothers and his father's household heard about” him being at the cave of Adullam, scripture tells us they “went down to him there”. We read about their state of mind for they were described as being “in distress or in debt or discontented”…in other words, they were just as much in need as David was…and so the four hundred men rallied around David as their leader.

And with this, David was no longer going it on his own, no longer vulnerable as an army of one. He now had four hundred men looking to him for leadership, the start of his own force which could reckon with whoever might come against him.

Again, God had provided for what he needed at the very time he needed it…this time in the way of support…and as in all other matters of life, He will do the same for us when we’re in need.

Well…maybe you would think that the Lord had done enough for David…but He was far from through yet. For we see Him do two more things.

First, He ensured that David’s parents were protected.

For we know that a murderous Saul surely wouldn’t hesitate to even kill David’s parents if he had the opportunity…such was his hatred for David. And so David…obedient to God’s fifth commandment (Exodus 20:12), honored his father and mother by placing them in the care of “the king of Moab” at Mizpah. There they would be safe.

And finally, the Lord never stopped sending messages to David to ensure he remained safe. Before, He had used Samuel and now we find the Lord speaking to his servant through the prophet Gad who said to David:

"Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah."

And so David did as the prophet instructed…knowing the words he spoke were words from the Lord as he “went to the forest of Hereth”.

Provision. Protection. Guidance.

The Lord provided all these to David at times when he needed them most…and did so because it was his will to do so.

This is important for us to remember for as we face challenges in our own lives, we need to seek God’s will as well so to know how He wants us to proceed in the midst of those challenges. Too often, we make the mistake of being self reliant, thinking we can handle circumstances ourselves…only to find ourselves disappointed, discouraged, and defeated when things don’t work out right.

God allows this to happen just to show us that we can’t make it through life without Him for He wants us to know that He has a plan and will guide us through anything, every step of the way while helping us persevere through whatever trials we go through.

How should we lean on Him?

We find the answer in the scriptures for we serve a God who loves us and helps us in times of need…and does so according to what He wants for us. Consider these verses from 1st John:

This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us — whatever we ask — we know that we have what we asked of Him. 1st John 5:14-15

As we go through life’s circumstances, God expects us to first seek His will for us, turning to Him in prayer. And once we receive what His will is, then we can approach Him with confidence, knowing that He will give us what we ask for when it aligns with His will.

Friends, our Father God wants the best for us, His children, and sometimes it’s best for us to struggle and persevere through difficult times because it’s then that He is working to fortify and refine our faith. As they say, it’s easy to have faith when everything is going well but when we go through trials and tribulations, that faith is put to the test.

Through the many ebbs and flows of life, we need to always remember that no matter what, in good times and bad, our Lord is the one we can always count on. He is always there with us and always there with us, always ready to give us what we need to ensure His will is done in our lives. All we need to do is trust Him…and experience His goodness, grace, and love along the way, all which He provides in abundant supply.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.