OVERCOMING TEMPTATION

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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After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, "This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'" Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord." With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!" When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming you'? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord's anointed.' See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you. Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May He consider my cause and uphold it; may He vindicate me by delivering me from your hand."

When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. "You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family."

So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

1 Samuel 24

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

As 1 Samuel, chapter 23 ended, we saw David narrowly escape death as a pursuing Saul had to call off his quest for David to return to his territory and fight off a Philistine uprising.

As chapter 24 opens, we find Saul ready to reassume his search for David and receives information that David was in the “Desert of En Gedi." And so he “took three thousand chosen men from all Israel” and “set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats”.

The scriptures tell us that during his transit, Saul felt the urge to relieve himself and entered a cave near some “sheep pens along the way” but he wouldn’t be alone there for we read that “David and his men” were there as well…”far back in the cave”.

Now think about this…

What would a typical man do during David’s days if they had the opportunity to eliminate someone who had tried to kill them, especially if that person was in a vulnerable position?

There’s no question that they would probably take advantage of the situation and take out their enemy before the enemy got a chance to strike first. It’s this very attitude that we see David’s men display when Saul entered the cave and presented himself as an easy target. Here’s what they said to David, their leader:

“This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'"

Their words were meant to tempt David, even invoking the Lord’s name as to further convince him it was the right thing to do. Indeed, the seeds of persuasion had been planted and began to sprout inside David as he “crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe”.

At then, in that instance, something amazing happened…for we read where David became “conscience-stricken” after cutting the corner off of Saul’s robe.

In other words, the Lord sent conviction to David because he was doing wrong.

If David had only consulted God first, he would have avoided being “conscience-stricken” in the first place because the Lord would have told him not to do anything to Saul. But David didn’t consult God first. Instead, he relied on what his men had told him and acted on their guidance.

How often do we make the same mistake in life?

Instead of turning to God, inquiring about what He wants us to do, we allow others to adversely influence us and end up doing things that He disapproves of. Then, we end finding ourselves in the place David was at…conscience-stricken and convicted for violating the Lord and His will.

Well, understanding that he had erred thanks to the Lord’s conviction, David turns to his men and rebukes them saying:

“The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord."

And so David “did not allow (his men) to attack Saul who “left the cave and went his way but David did follow him out. Imagine how surprised Saul must have been when he heard a voice calling out to him and turned to see David “bowed down and prostrated” before him “with his face to the ground”. His eyes probably couldn’t believe that the man he hunted was right before him and ready to be slain. All his pursuing could end and the threat to his throne would be eliminated.

But as we see in our passage, the Lord had other things in mind…and they started with David’s words to Saul.

First of all, we should note David’s attitude toward Israel’s king for he approaches him in humility and a non-threatening manner. Thus, he didn’t put Saul on the defensive and postured him to receive the following words:

“Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming you'? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord's anointed.' See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you. Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May He consider my cause and uphold it; may He vindicate me by delivering me from your hand."

Through this, we find David making a case for himself while letting Saul know three things loud and clear.

First, he (David) hadn’t done anything to deserve being pursued and killed.

Second, David lets Saul know that he could have killed him in the cave but he spared his life because he viewed Saul as the Lord’s anointed…a point obviously reinforced when the Spirit of God convicted David in the cave.

Finally, David underscores that only the Lord should settle the matter between them. Only He should be allowed to pass judgment.

So how did David’s word impact Saul?

As we see, they had a dramatic effect for Saul weeps aloud as he says to David:

“Is that your voice, David my son? You are more righteous than I…You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family."

And with that, David “gave his oath to Saul” and “Saul returned home”. David was still alive and so was Saul…all because the former had overcome temptation and did what was right in the presence of the Lord.

So what should we take away from this passage?

Hopefully, we have learned to turn to the Lord anytime we need to make a decision so to ensure we do the right thing. This will ensure we don’t overstep our bounds and become conscience-stricken as a result.

We also need be able to recognize and respond to the power of the Spirit when it convicts us through our conscience for that Spirit is always seeking to keep us from doing anything that is against the Lord’s will. In our scriptures, we saw David overcome temptation by heeding the Lord’s conviction and we can too.

There’s one other important thing we need to remember about overcoming temptation from this chapter. For not only can we defeat it via the power of the Spirit but by the wonder working power of God’s Word as well.

Jesus showed us this through his actions in the opening eleven verses of Matthew, chapter 4:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "

Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple.

"If You are the Son of God," he said, "throw Yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

"All this I will give You," he said, "if You will bow down and worship me."

Jesus said to him, "Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:1-11

In this passage, we find our Savior at His weakest point of hunger after fasting forty days and nights and it was there that we see Satan come after Him, trying to tempt Him to sin…not just once but three times.

But Satan wasn’t successful, was he?

This is because Jesus beat him in each of the three attempts by using the word of God…twice referring to verses in the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy and once to the Psalms. It’s little wonder that Paul later would refer to the weapon one carries while donning the full armor of God as being “the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

And so first David and then Jesus show us that we have two means at our disposal to overcome temptation and deal with the attacks from Satan who tries to exploit our weaknesses and lead us into sin.

First, we have the Spirit to guide us and, second, we have the Word of God to defend us.

One thing is for sure…we’ll never overcome temptation by our own strength. Try it yourself and you’ll see. Thankfully, we don’t have to fight alone for the Lord, who has infinite strength and power to defeat Satan, imparts His power to us so we can remain righteous and victorious over the enemy.

Today and every day, let us give thanks and praise to God for His willingness to help us overcome temptation when it comes so we can live life as He wants us to…obediently with a desire to be holy as He is.

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 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

** 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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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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** 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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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

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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

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** 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.