He Always Know What We Do Not

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 23:12, Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?” And the LORD said, “They will deliver you.”

Yesterday I said that there were two things we could see in this verse and discussed one of the two. Today, I would like us to examine the second perspective. David, in not knowing what would happen now that he was informed that Saul and his men were on the way to Keilah, immediately turned to the Lord for answers. While the fact that the men of Keilah were going to betray David is a fact that stands out in this verse, what is an even greater observation is that God already knew what was in the hearts of those men. While they might not have wanted to really hand David over to Saul, the fact of the matter was that Saul turned into a cruel king, which we already observed when he ordered the death of Ahimelech and the people, upon believing that they had aided David and his men. The men of Keilah may have thought that they would stand with David, but fear has a way of gripping our hearts and changing our minds, especially if there is a threat of death. Peter proclaimed boldly that he would stand with Jesus, no matter what, but Jesus knew that Peter would cave under the fear he would experience once Jesus was falsely imprisoned. Matthew 26:33-35 recounts for us, “Peter answered and said to Him, ‘Even if all are made to stumble because of You, I will never be made to stumble.’ 34 Jesus said to him, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that this night, before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ 35 Peter said to Him, ‘Even if I have to die with You, I will not deny You!’ And so said all the disciples.” This proved to be true later according to Matthew 26:74-75, “Then he began to curse and swear, saying, ‘I do not know the Man!’ Immediately a rooster crowed. 75 And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.’ So he went out and wept bitterly.” Far too often we make decisions based on our false sense that we know someone. However, the fact is that none of us can know another person’s heart. We may see hints of what is there, but we just do not know the heart like God knows the heart. Jeremiah 17:9-10 reminds us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? 10 I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.” Only God knows the heart. David, based on the fact that he and his men delivered the people of Keilah from the Philistines, could have easily convinced himself that he was safe among them should Saul and his men show up. He took the wisest step he could possibly take in going to the LORD and inquiring. There is great wisdom in going to God when we want to know what to do next, especially when it comes to relationships. The people we trust the most, based on what we may have done for them and how they might respond at the moment, are the same people who may decide to turn their backs on us later because the circumstances have changed and they may feel that they do not need us now that they are self-sufficient. This is the reason why we, as we discussed yesterday, need to do what we do for others, not because we are looking for gratitude or anything else in return, but simply because Jesus led us to do it. Whatever the outcome and whatever the response from them, we know that God is in control, God knows their hearts, and we must always use godly wisdom in dealing with others and making decisions involving relationships with others. Ultimately, this is about who God is and the fact that only He is omniscient. When uncertainty begins to preoccupy our minds about decisions that affect our future, we need to go to the only One who already knows the future, and knows the hearts of every single human being alive. This is our Jesus. This is our God. The same one who sees beyond the facades we put on display for others to see (1 Samuel 16:7). The bottom line is that He always know what we do not.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).