After God’s Own Heart – Part 4 – What to do in the Wilderness
The first thing we see about wilderness seasons – is actually what not to do. – In wilderness seasons – first –
Don’t Run to the Wrong Refuge: (21:10-15)
In chapter 21 – we find David in a precarious spot – like where do ya go when you lose everything?
And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath.
Why does David go here? maybe he’s thinking “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” – maybe he thinks it’s a place where Saul won’t chase him
And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?”
And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. Then Achish said to his servants, “Behold, you see the man is mad. Why then have you brought him to me? Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to behave as a madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”
when we enter the wilderness – when we encounter the pain of trials – we run to a refuge – but not all refuges’ actually help us. Sometimes we discover what David discovered – that the refuge we run to – might be just as bad or worse than our previous situation.
- See when the wilderness happens – where do you run for refuge?Worship While you Wait: (22:1-5)
- look down at 22:1-2 here –
David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. “Be merciful to me O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me, God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness.” (Psalms 57:1-3)
we worship in the wilderness – because when we worship we fix our eyes on a worthy God and an unchanging God – worship leads us to action –
And when his brothers and all his father’s house heard it, they went down there to him. And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men.
- we see that as David worships in the midst of struggle – and he fixes his eyes on God – rather than his circumstances – that all these people that are in tough places – they all just gather to him. Word spreads where he is at and they just come to him and the text says he becomes a commander over them.
Listen to God’s Voice : (23:1-14, 15-18)
“David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the Lord said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” But David’s men said to him, “Behold, we are afraid here in Judah; how much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” Then David inquired of the Lord again. And the Lord answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” (1 Sam. 23:2-4)
Let God Fight the Battle (24)
“My lord the king!” And when Saul looked behind him, David bowed with his face to the earth and paid homage. And David said to Saul, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, ‘Behold, David seeks your harm’? Behold, this day your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave. And some told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you. After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom do you pursue? After a dead dog! After a flea! May the Lord therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand.” (1 Sam. 24:8-15)
“’You are more righteous than I, for you have repaid me good, whereas I have repaid you evil. And you have declared this day how you have dealt well with me, in that you did not kill me when the Lord put me into your hands. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him go away safe? So may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. And now, behold, I know that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand. Swear to me therefore by the Lord that you will not cut off my offspring after me, and that you will not destroy my name out of my father’s house.’ And David swore this to Saul. Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. “(1 Sam. 24:17-22)