Thursday, March 25, 2021
“Again?” – Taven & Lin
Last night in Sparky council time, Lin was continuing to tell the story of the conflict between Saul and David. She reminded the children of God’s wonderful preservation of David when he snuck into Saul’s camp at night and took Saul’s spear and water jug.
Sitting front and center and listening intently was a bright, 2nd grade boy. Taven has been at Sparks every week and has followed the story.
Now, Lin told the Sparks that Saul had returned home and David began to do some “stinking thinking.” He convinced himself that he would someday be killed by Saul. So he determined to go where Saul would not pursue him, to live with the Philistines.
The boy on the front row immediately said, “Again?” It was a completely unfiltered, participatory response to what he had just heard. He remembered that David had resorted to live with the Philistines once before. That time, David had been forced to act like a crazy man to keep from being killed. Why, oh why would David return to live with the enemies of God’s people?
Lin laughed and said, “Yes, again.” She went on to teach the young people about David’s wrong thinking and wrong choice when he went to live with the Philistines. She said something like this:
1. David forgot to trust in the promises of God. God had told David he would be king. How could Saul kill him if God had so promised? What has God promised to do for me? For starters, He has promised never to leave me. Never.
2. David did not pray or seek God’s mind concerning this move. When he was at En Gedi and at Keilah, David sought the Lord to know what he should do. Both of the times when David decided to go to the Philistines, he did not ask for God’s direction. How many times do I trust my own reckoning and quickly resolve to do what seems at first to make sense rather than pray and wait and consider the mind of God?
3. David was driven by fear into the arms of God’s enemies. Because of fear, David choose to go to the king of Gath. Gath! – the hometown of Goliath! Fear breeds anger and hate. Fear makes us reject those we might have trusted. Fear encourages illogical and unbiblical thinking. No wonder God says many times in His Word, “Do not be afraid!”
4. David had to lie about his true intentions and his behavior. With the Philistines as his neighbors, David had to live a duplicitous life. He had to say one thing and do another. Christians who make poor choices and find themselves in compromised environments will lie to themselves and others to keep face.
5. David jeopardized the physical and spiritual lives of those around him. 600 men and their wives and children followed David at this time. 2,000 souls were in his hand. 2,000 people were forced to live in an ungodly environment and live hypocritical lives because of David’s wrong choosing.
I come back to Taven’s initial response – “Again?” Yes, again and again I find that I make poor choices for bad reasons. “O God, might I be daily reminded to draw near to you and your people that I may not find myself compromised in my walk with Jesus.”