1st Samuel 27

There has never been a perfect man, nor will there ever be. It is the SON OF GOD alone that lived a sinless life; all others that have walked this earth have had various failings of one sort or another. In our chapter today we see 3 of the flaws in the life of David, a man who is described for us as a “man after God’s own heart”. I am so glad that the Lord included these events in the account of the life of David, because they help us to see that being a man after God’s own heart doesn’t equal perfection. It is about FOCUS and DIRECTION. David was following after God, and allowing his heart to be fashioned into the image of God. During this process David made some mistakes along the way.

We can learn from these 3 mistakes in today’s account, so let’s look at them one at a time:

1. David began to doubt God’s deliverance. (27:1) Until now, we have seen David show an INCREDIBLE confidence in the Lord, and HIS ability to deliver David from ALL of the attacks against him. Something happens here, and David seems to forget all that the Lord had done, saying “Saul will surely kill me”. Fear is an emotion, and we cannot let it control us. We must deal with our fear by putting our FAITH in the Lord… rather than being controlled by our emotions, we submit them to God, and trust Him in spite of how we feel.
2. David dwelt in the land of the enemy. (27:1, 5-7) Rather than submitting these fears to God, and choosing to exercise faith, David ran into the territory of his REAL enemies. Fear can drive us to do FOOLISH things. If we let it control us, then we are libel to do things that are not only unwise, but are DOWNRIGHT IRRATIONAL.
3. David deceived others. (27:10-12) Another product of David’s fear was DISHONESTY and DECEPTION. When we are trusting in the Lord, and allowing Him to control our lives, we will have no problem telling the truth. When we are Honest, we are in the Light, and have PROTECTION from the Lord. Now that David was driven and ruled by fear, his natural reaction was to be dishonest. Think about it, if you are afraid of the consequences of a choice you have made, isn’t it a natural reaction to cover it up? On the other hand, if you trust that the Lord will see you through, you have no problem telling the truth.

The main point here is this: David allowed his fears to take his eyes off of the Lord, and it got him into a terrible mess. The solution to dealing with these kinds of fears can be found in DAVID’S OWN WRITINGS!

A psalm of David.

The LORD is my light and my salvation—so why should I be afraid? The LORD is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. The one thing I ask of the LORD—the thing I seek most—is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD's perfections and meditating in His Temple. For He will conceal me there when troubles come; He will hide me in His sanctuary. He will place me out of reach on a high rock. Then I will hold my head high above my enemies who surround me. At His sanctuary I will offer sacrifices with shouts of joy, singing and praising the LORD with music. Hear me as I pray, O LORD. Be merciful and answer me! My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me." And my heart responds, "LORD, I am coming." Do not turn Your back on me. Do not reject Your servant in anger. You have always been my helper. Don't leave me now; don't abandon me, O God of my salvation! Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close. Teach me how to live, O LORD. Lead me along the right path, for my enemies are waiting for me. Do not let me fall into their hands. For they accuse me of things I've never done; with every breath they threaten me with violence. Yet I am confident I will see the LORD's goodness while I am here in the land of the living. Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.

(Psa 27:1-14)

Meditate on the words of this psalm, and allow the Lord to show you why we NEVER need to allow fear to control us!