Into the Hands of the Enemy

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:3-4, So David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, each man with his household, and David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal’s widow. 4 And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath; so he sought him no more.

We have seen that David’s despair has driven him into the land of the Philistines. He finds himself in a place far from his home, running from the people he should be serving and fellowshipping with. Why does he find himself here? He finds himself here because of the actions of the king he was willing to serve faithfully. Saul’s jealousy and hatred has driven a good man from among his own people. The one man that God could have, and would have, used in Saul’s kingdom to elevate it, was the one man who was driven away by Saul’s sinful behavior. Sadly, we too can find ourselves on either side of this fence. How often do we behave like Saul within the local church? How often do we behave in a way that dishonors God because we are jealous of someone else’s position? Why can we not lead this ministry or that ministry? When we hear how God is blessing another in our midst, we think, “Why doesn’t God bless ME like that?” James 4:1-3 says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? 2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.” The first opportunity we have to bad-mouth that person(s), we gladly take. We break others down, gossip about them, and unjustly persecute them. We look for the first occasion of their stumbling to “prove our point”. What is the sad, but ultimate, result of such behavior in many instances? The result is that the person(s) we unjustly criticize and gossip about eventually parts ways with the local church. Like David, they end up running to the world, which is more than happy to welcome them. How often are we the ones on the receiving end of the gossip, criticism, and such? We decide that we are done with the “church” and Christians, and we find comfort in a world that is more than happy to welcome us as one of their own. We soon become comfortable amongst those who do not believe as we believe and we become friends of the world. David (who was called to serve and lead the Israelites) now finds comfort and safety living amongst the Philistines. Saul’s decision to stop pursuing David was not out of true repentance. If we remember, back in 1 Samuel 18:25, Saul sent a message to David telling him that if he brought back the foreskins of one hundred Philistines, he would not require a dowry from him in allowing him to marry his daughter. That verse tells us that Saul’s real intentions were that David would die at the hands of the Philistines. So it is here, that he does not have the courage himself to pursue David into the land of the Philistines, but would be content with the Philistines eventually bringing an end to David’s life. Saul, David’s enemy was quite content with driving David into the hands of Israel’s enemies, the Philistines. When we become the persecutors of our own brothers and sisters in Christ, we drive them into the hands of the devils and the world. On the other hand, when we are the ones being persecuted, and in our despair (and anger) run to the world, we do exactly what the enemy is looking for. His greatest desire is that we shipwreck our faith and go running into the world, thereby running right into the hands of the enemy. I would encourage each of us today to examine our Christian walk. Are we driving other Christians toward the world with our less than godly behavior toward them? If so…stop, repent, confess, and do all you can to make peace with them. God wants unity amongst His people. Ephesians 4:1-3 is a clear admonishment for unity. It reads, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” If we are being driven out into the world by the way Christians are treating us, then we need to refocus our attention on Christ, and not on fallen, sinful, men. We will see in tomorrow’s devotional that in spite of Saul’s behavior and David’s decision while in despair, God works some good out of it. There is a truth we will see that still applies today, and is found in Romans 8:28, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

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).