I read a story once that says Satan once held a sale and offered all the tools of his trade to anyone who would pay the price. They were spread out on the table and each one was labelled – hatred, malice, envy, gossip, lust – all the weapons that everyone knows so well.
However, off to one side lay a harmless looking instrument labelled DISCOURAGEMENT. It was old and worn looking but was priced far above the rest.
When Satan was asked why this was so, he replied, “This is most effective and I uses it most of the time. It always works.”
We know what it means to be discouraged. We can all speak from experience on this. We know first-hand what it can do to us.
• We are going to see a discouraged David in 1 Sam 27. He has lost all hope of staying safe in Israel and decided to move into the land of the Philistines.
• Let’s read 1 Sam 27:1-7.
The Word begins: “BUT David thought to himself [said to his heart], ‘One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.’” (27:1).
It starts with BUT (ESV: THEN) – in order words, it ought NOT to be, BUT THEN…
• David THOUGHT TO HIMSELF. This gives us the clearest clue where his discouragement comes from.
• This is the source of most of our discouragement – OUR OWN THOUGHTS.
• David wasn’t hearing from God; he was hearing from himself, loud and clear. And what follows, of course, are all his OWN thoughts.
David convinced himself that there is no hope of him finding a safe-haven in Israel. He felt certain that he would die in Saul’s hands if he remains.
• So the best place to be in, is to go into the land of the Philistines. Hide among the enemies and Saul would not find me.
• Actually early on – in 1 Sam 23:14 – we have this words from the author: “Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.”
We’ve no indication of what crisis situation happened to cause this, or how long a span of time has passed between 1 Sam 26 and 27.
• But one thing is clear - David was discouraged. He was not hopeful. These words come from a man who was tired of running.
• When we are not hearing from God, this happens. When we are not hearing from God, we are still hearing… but from SELF, from the WORLD, or from SATAN.
• Satan puts the wrong thoughts, the false thoughts, the distorted thoughts into our minds, the same way he did with Adam and Eve.
David convinced himself of what he THINKS.
DISCOURAGEMENT DISTORTS OUR PERSPECTIVE
We lost sight of God’s purposes. David says the BEST THING he can do is to leave Israel! ESV: “There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines.” (27:1)
We can empathise with David, because we’ve been there. It can be tiring trusting God in the midst of a long trial.
EXCEPT that God has spoken. He has revealed His will for David. At least TWO KEY FACTS that David ought to have remembered:
(1) God has prepared him to be King of Israel.
• That is clearly revealed. Samuel prophesied it. Abigail reminded him. It’s God’s promise, not a prediction.
• In order words, he would not die in the hands of Saul. The truth is Saul will never succeed in killing him, no matter how drastic the circumstances.
(2) God has protected him throughout his run, and provided for him.
• God has proven to be faithful and true. It wasn’t for a lack of evidence of God’s favour on him. (When you are discouraged, don’t blame God!)
• It’s our PERSPECTIVE that has been distorted. Our view has changed, not God.
• David had two close encounters with Saul, in which he spared Saul’s life, and not the other way around – not Saul sparing his life.
Remember earlier on, throughout this ordeal, we saw how David wrote the Psalms, to praise God and thank Him for His deliverance.
• The reality speaks for itself. So when we are discouraged, it is not that God has changed or that He has lifted His hands of FAVOUR upon us.
• It’s just that we are NOT SEEING it. Or we REFUSE to see it because we are discouraged and bitter.
Discouragement distorts our view of God and what He is doing.
• And Satan do not want you to REMEMBER what He has said and done.
• David chose to focus on what might happen instead of what God has been doing. He paints a bleak picture in his mind and scares himself into believing it!
Charles Spurgeon shared that once he was very discouraged and a friend came:
“I remember on one occasion, to my shame, being sad and doubtful of heart, and a kind friend took out a paper and read to me a short extract from a discourse upon faith. I very soon detected the author of the extract; my friend was reading to me from one of my own sermons. Without saying a word he just left it to my own conscience, for he had convicted me of committing the very fault against which I had so earnestly declaimed.”
We are NOT REMEMBERING what we know.
DISCOURAGEMENT LEADS US TO COMPROMISE
We make mistakes when we are discouraged. David sought help from the King of Gath, ACHISH.
• This wasn’t the first time they met. David came to hide in Gath (1 Sam 21). He was afraid Achish would kill him so he pretended to be a madman and escaped.
• Now he’s came back and Achish accepted him, probably because they shared the same enemy Saul, and David has a group of fighting men he could use.
Over and over again, since Moses’ time, the Lord had been warning His people not to co-exist with the Canaanite nations because they will lead them astray.
• But now David chose to do it, not alone but with 600 men and their families (27:3).
Look at what he did when he stays in Ziklag – 1 Sam 27:8-12.
• David took raiding parties to the surrounding Philistines towns for flocks and clothes; not out of provocation or self-defence, but to rob them for his own benefits.
• But when King Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “I’ve been to the Negev of Judah, or Jerahmeel or the Kenites.” (Southern areas of Judah – the Israelite towns.)
David lied that he has been raiding the Israelites, not the Philistines. He wants to please Achish and convince him that he is loyal to him.
• Before, David had never cared about finding favour in the eyes of a Philistine ruler. He has changed.
• 27:11 “He [David] did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, "They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.'" And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory.”
• To cover up his lies he has to kill everyone in the towns. Dead man can tell no tales.
27:12 Achish trusted David and said to himself, "He has become so odious [detestable] to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant forever."
• Achish was convinced that David had burned all his bridges with the people of Israel. Let’s look at what happened next – 1 Sam 28:1-2.
• 1In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, "You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army." 2 David said, "Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do." Achish replied, "Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life."
We really do not know if David was serious about fighting alongside the Philistines against his own people Israel.
• He did march out with them (29:2), but the rest of the commanders of the Philistine army would trust him, and demanded that he leave.
• By God’s grace, David left. God, in His mercy, provided a way out for David (willingly or not).
• That’s how low David has sunk to. He was spiritually at his bottom. He was prepared to fight his own people.
God’s grace has to come in. God has to step in and wake His servant up, which He did in chapter 30. It was a painful and drastic move.
• David wept aloud until he has no strength left to weep, and his men turned against him and wanted to stone him to death. [We’ll come to that soon.]
This episode reveals to us the frailty of even the best of men. We have nothing to boast. We are all weak and in need of God’s grace.
• 1 Cor 10:12 (ESV): “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.”
• We are all vulnerable, all the time, especially so when we are discouraged, tired and burnout.
Someone asked me at the retreat if I’ve ever regretted my decision to serve the Lord full-time. No, I’ve not. I’ve never regretted my decision. But there are many moments of discouragement. Countless.
Discouragement will come, no matter how strong you think you are. It’s a spiritual warfare. To discourage you is Satan’s most formidable tool, and most effective. It can stop you from doing what God wants, and it can leads you to compromise and do foolish things, like David in this chapter.
GUARD against discouragement! REMEMBER the grace and goodness of God in your life. VOICE out whatever you are thinking when discouraged – to God and to one another! So that we can help one another get back to the right perspective.
Don’t dwell in discouragement and let it distorts our view of God and His work in our lives. God did not wrong us, always remember that!
• He is faithful and true. His promises and His plan for you is good and has not changed. See that! See that clearly!
• Let discouragement brings us to our knees, not drives us to the ground.
David will come back. By God’s grace, he will turn back and so will we.
• It is by His grace, and it will always be by His grace. God will step in and lift you up. The question is, how far will we have to go before that moment comes?
