It’s the Times In Between...
1 Samuel 21:10-15 NKJ
10 Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:
‘Saul has slain his thousands,?And David his ten thousands’?”
12 Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? 15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
I want you to realize something, this is David a we're talking about here. A man after gods own heart. This is also someone who is facing intense persecution, who wants them eradicated. David was a lot of things to a lot of people, but in the end he was still human.
This is clearly a low point for David. Here’s why, David was always a warrior, known for a man of valor and hero status.
King Saul and the world around him had gone crazy, because the King had learned his son Jonathan had signed a covenant with David.
Through Sauls relentless pursuit as someone who knew his inevitable end, David had become somewhat delirious himself. We read a little bit more into the way that David felt, in psalms 56
Psalms 56:1-13 MSG
56 1-4 Take my side, God—I’m getting kicked around,
stomped on every day.
Not a day goes by
but somebody beats me up;
They make it their duty
to beat me up.
Take note here as how we read the entrance to self effort! This is when David is only relying on David! How many can relate to the words David is using to describe the condition of his life? Human nature is always predictable!
When I get really afraid
I come to you in trust.
I’m proud to praise God;
fearless now, I trust in God.
What can mere mortals do?
Ok something maybe unexpected happened (like maybe he thought he had things figured out for a minute) and now David realizes God's ability and finds rest for a moment! The assurance is short lived though and his reality of control quickly falls back to unrest and fear!
Human nature while always predictable, can never be trusted, nor can feelings and impulses controlled by human nature! We see like all of us, David emotions at times were like a roller coaster!
5-6 They don’t let up—
they smear my reputation
and huddle to plot my collapse.
They gang up,
sneak together through the alleys
To take me by surprise,
wait their chance to get me.
7 Pay them back in evil!
Get angry, God!
Down with these people!
David comes to the conclusion, like all of us do when
We finally push our human nature aside, only God
Is going to be able to take care of our battles!
And when he does David also senses, God was always there and never far away from any thing he had gone through!
How much easier would our lives be to live, if we would never allow our human nature to influence our spiritual walk and relationship with God?
8 You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn
through the sleepless nights,
Each tear entered in your ledger,
each ache written in your book.
Even with God’s attentiveness to the greatest detail in our lives, we like to still set conditions or ask for some kind of sign from God, so we will feel at peace!
9 If my enemies run away,
turn tail when I yell at them,
Then I’ll know
that God is on my side.
10-11 I’m proud to praise God,
proud to praise God.
Fearless now, I trust in God;
what can mere mortals do to me?
What David senses is God's Grace and love, and when he senses Grace and Love, he finds The peace that passes all understanding. And with that he finds the comfort and rest he has desperately been looking for!
12-13 God, you did everything you promised,
and I’m thanking you with all my heart.
You pulled me from the brink of death,
my feet from the cliff-edge of doom.
Now I stroll at leisure with God
in the sunlit fields of life.
Now remember when we read this, David is a prisoner in a foreign land, he has been on the run fleeing for his life! David is to the point, he acts like he's on trial and pleads insanity, to keep from being killed!
He's trying to get away from King Saul and runs right into the Philistine army and is captured. Do you think for one minute the Philistines are over the fact that he killed their greatest warrior ever, Goliath!
I imagine right about this time he's saying, “what’s going on here!”
"I didn't sign up for this, why is the whole world turning on me?
God, You said I would be the King"
He was concerned about his own well being! However I can’t help but think he was equally concerned for the well being of the men who had followed him. Men, their wives and their children who had followed David to the battlefield many times, tasted Victory as well as times of questionable decisions! This certainly must have been without doubt, one of those times!
The predicament David found himself was serious! Although maybe no fault of his own, still did not change the possibilities of what could go wrong. I think we can all relate to the scenario, we have all been there haven’t we?
But it’s not my fault! Anyone ever said those words, when you found yourself in the time of trouble? God knows who’s at fault and God is always bigger and more capable than the perpetrators of any circumstance!
I might also add, God’s retribution is always more effective and lasting, than any temporal punishment or action we could ever take or think of! “Vengeance is mine saith the Lord” is not a phrase I would ever want to be on the other side of!!
The Philistines were certainly the enemy of the people of Israel and no doubt, were familiar with the story of how David had slew Goliath. David had been a thorn in their side, from that moment up till now and now they had him right where any enemy would want, captured and in prison…with His life hanging in the balance and at their discretion!
I can imagine how all of Philistine must have been celebrating his capture, just like all the cronies associated with the devil!
Oh great giant killer!
What are you going to do now?
Where's your God now?
You're not so great now are you?
Who are you going to call on now?
You will never be the King of Israel!!
What the enemy did not realize was, while David was in prison…
David's God was not in prison!
David's God was still on the throne!
David's God was still great and worthy to be praised! Amen??
David's God was just waiting for the right time, “His Time!”
So what is David to do? What would you have done? With God, while tears may happen from time to time, tears will not move the hand of God! Faith moves God to action! Human natures clockwork of timing, always says Lord where are you!
Faith renews a call to action and says I believe even though I don’t see things happening the way I thought things would happen! I believe God would have me tell you, like David did in the time of quandary. Stop looking inward and look to God!
Channel your thoughts, disappointments and questions into a beautiful sacrifice of praise of faith! Will it be pretty? Probably not, most likely it will be ugly! But as you praise, the peace released by God the Holy Spirit brings to you, will turn your ugliness to a beautiful place to dwell!
Isaiah 61:1-3 NIV
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,[a]
2
to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.
Back to are text, we realize at this point in our story David had nowhere to go but to the Lord! To those who lacked spiritual insight, things looked like David was at the end of the rope! To many times, God’s children are way to quick and willing to throw in the towel, before God has been allowed in His perfect time to be God!
It wasn't over! It’s never over until God declares, “it is finished!” And even though the verse had not been written yet in the Bible, He who started the work in David, was going to be faithful, and was going to finish the work in David! God has always been faithful, continues to be faithful and “WILL ALWAYS BE FAITHFUL!”
In verses 1-4 of this Psalm...David declares GOD IS MERCIFUL!
1-2: Take my side, God—I’m getting kicked around,
stomped on every day.
Not a day goes by
but somebody beats me up
God not only knows what's going on in your life. Unlike everyone else, God also cares about what’s going on in your life! God is also interested, how you react to what's going on in your life when your faith gets tested! Do you react in faith, or fear?
3-4: When I get really afraid I come to you in trust.
I’m proud to praise God; fearless now, I trust in God.
What can mere mortals do?
As I read this… I couldn't help but think how David was a man of faith and also a man after gods own heart. But when we read the words "when I get really afraid I come to you in trust"
I realize the frailty of humanity and understanding we all must overcome in our relationship of faith we share with God, every moment of every day!
We should be encouraged, because no matter how many triumphs and accomplishments we read about David. There were still times he was afraid, like all of us!
He may of been a man after gods own heart, but he was still a man, he was flesh and bones, prone to fear when things would take an unexpected turn like you and I. Amen??
Like David, we all get caught up in the moment of what we think is going to happen and what we think we are capable of doing when it doesn’t happen.
But the reality of the situation, always comes back to how helpless we are without God! And how God's capabilities and God's capabilities alone, are our only hope in our time of need!
"I’m proud to praise God; fearless now, I trust in God.
What can mere mortals do?"
Perfect love, cast out all fear. And when the fear is gone from our lives, it Produces Courage! Realizing the power of God's love in every situation produces courage!
David's new found confidence says it this way...
"If God be for me...who can be against me"
And while the accuser would like nothing better than the turmoil and strife to never end! The accuser knows, if God is for you "nothing else matters" it’s Game Over!
While David recognized and received God's mercy, by David's words of praise and actions God recognized David's faith! Amen??
Your WORDS have power! OUR WORDS HAVE SO MUCH POWER! And when we harness our words to the Word of God we have hid in our heart, our words become faith and profess things as though they are and are going to be! Despite the fact what everyone sees is completely contrary! Our words and faith become Gods ability to do the impossible every time!
There is an old children’s song with some wise lyrics, “Oh be careful little tongue what you say!” Listen friends, as much as we want rant about the way things are going in life! Our words are not to be wasted on the flesh and the desires the flesh brings us in the retaliation of the moment of now!
We need to learn to use our words wisely! Because by using them wisely to your benefit, brings the power of them to your enemies demise!
In verses 12-13, David reminds us of Gods ability working in our situation and how the reward of our faith, produces results! And when we realize God’s desire and allow God in His timing to work His Plan for our deliverance, in spite of what circumstances are dictating as the new norm, God will complete what He starts!
God is a God of suddenly completions! God is a God of gradual deliverance! God is a God of perfection and everything He does reflects His perfection! “GOD IS MIGHTY” and true to His Word!
God, you did everything you promised,
and I’m thanking you with all my heart.
You pulled me from the brink of death,
my feet from the cliff-edge of doom.
Now I stroll at leisure with God
in the sunlit fields of life.
God had rescued David and for that David was Grateful and he was offering up his thanks For keeping His Promise! What we don’t see here and often glance over, is the time in between. There is always a starting point, a middle and a victory in the end with God! Let us not forget the time in between the beginning and the end!
There is a popular song from some time back with a classic line, “the waiting is the hardest part!” The human nature in all of us says a thousand times yes! Human nature only dictates if let it!
Seriously, you control what you let happen in your life! And you can pace, mope and watch the dial on your clock of expectation, with the results of depression setting up a cot and never leaving!
Or you can do like David did, like so many others in the Bible did as well, after his initial feeling of being let down. David put on sackcloth and ashes and got his worship on and sang his praises to God!
Did David feel like doing this? What do you think? Praising God on the mountain top is easy! But praising God when the mountain is still parked at your front door propped against it and seemingly making it unopenable, is a sacrifice of praise!
TBS God inhabits our praise! And I believe when we praise God, it’s like a point of light God see’s! When we praise God in the middle of desperate times and circumstances in spite of them, I believe it’s like sending praise up to God with the equivalent of a strobe light!
A sacrifice of praise is when we stand completely transparent before God and allow God to inhabit our situation, with our trust in His perfect Discretion to have His Own Way and do what He Thinks Is Best!
Twenty three times scripture tells of the prophets and men of God did the very same thing! David never forgot to offer his thanksgiving to God. Not for the timing God completed and met his needs, but for the fact God would always be faithful to complete them!
We should all strive, to have the same said about ourselves. To never be guilty of forgetting to give God thanks, both during the need and for meeting our needs!
Let me remind you this morning that...
God keeps His Promises / God keeps His Word!
And the truth is, sometimes we need to be reminded of those things! God is completely faithful, God keeps his promises and keeps His word to us consistently!
When we're the ones going through the difficulties, when we're the one down in the valley, sometimes it seems like we're the only ones left in the trenches! But David reminds us here in scripture, nothing could be further from the truth!
Vs 8: You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book.
David reminds us here, God is very attentive of our circumstances and aware of everything we go through! God also keeps a perfect record of what happens while we're going through our trials! God never forgets the details!
"No one ever cared for me like Jesus, There's no other friend so kind as He; No one else could take the sin and darkness from me, O how much He cared for me."
Can you imagine just for a moment, attentiveness required to capture a tear when it squeezes from someone's eye, before it evaporates?
We know a person's pride can hide the first one or two tears, when we think we need to portray strength in the time of need. But the truth is, while we may hide those tears from everyone around us, we can never hide them from a loving, and attentive God!
Now I don’t know about you child of God. But I find a sweet, resting and peaceful atmosphere of love in the caring nature of God! I rejoice in the fact we serve the same great God David served!
The same God who Delivered David from the hands of the Philistines, from the hand of King Saul and made him the King of all Israel!
And the same “One True God” is still just as powerful! Still on the throne!
Still just as caring and attentive to us, as he was when David endured what scripture recorded!
That's why If we were to ask David and he were here today. So tell us David, how did you know those days there in that prison, weren't your last days?
How did you know your prayers weren't in vain?
How did you know those wouldn't be your last days
and your best days were still yet to come?
If David could tell you, I believe he would have told you.
I knew God was for me and that's all I needed to know!!! Amen??
Sometimes we think we need to know more, when the fact is “we already know enough!” Be encouraged by what God has already given to you and what you already know!
There's not some grand equation to figure out. All we need to know is, “if God is for us, that’s all we need to know” and that will always be enough!
God’s not a respecter of persons… He respects all of us enough to treat us all the same! What He freely gave to David, He will also freely give to you! If you are willing to have faith and receive the gift!
But David was a Bible hero
and David had great courage
and David had great faith
and David was a man after Gods own Heart!
David was all those things! If given the chance I’m sure David would be the first to tell you, he could have been more!
God wants you to know you can be all those things and even more. I would venture to say, God has said to many a heavenly homecomings, “you were and are a man or woman after mine our heart...well done faithful servant!”
Really? Yes really!
No matter what you may be facing, God wants you to know its only temporary!
Trust Him and know that's all you need to know!
If God is for me...nothing else MATTERS!
Amen??
Let's pray!
Fellow Contributors,
If you have found this teaching helpful, I invite you to check other resources and books I have authored available at all online bookstores! Or you can follow me on Facebook at my Charlie Roberts Author page.
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I AM, I CAN, I WILL “all about exploring God’s Grace”
MY SCANDALOUS RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD “all about exposing God’s Grace”
PARKING LOT FAITH “the realization you already have enough faith to move your Mountains”
