April 18
1 Samuel 26:1-27:7; 1 Chronicles 12:1-7; 1 Samuel 27:8-29:11; 1 Chronicles 12:19; Ps 56
Meditate for a moment on this verse in 1 Corinthians 15:31, "I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily." Paul was not resting on a trend. Despite all that he had done in the past and where he had come from in his pursuit of his calling, he did not rest for a moment on this. He understood that his walk with Christ was not a trajectory but a daily battle. He knew that nothing good was in his flesh. We read in Romans 6:6, "knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin"., and in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." So, the question is where are you and me right now? This is not some generic philosophical question. Let me rephrase it, "Where are you today?" Just remember, whatever you did yesterday might have been a great day of service for the Lord, but that was yesterday. Today is a new day. We are to seek Him with freshness and die to ourselves today that we might be vessels filled with the Holy Spirit to be used today.
What a resume David had built. He slayed a giant, was a man of faith, even called "a man after God's own heart". What could go wrong? Everything! This beautiful man of God forgot who he represented. He began to analyze things on his own, and his downward trajectory began. Despite God's sovereign protection, we read in 1 Samuel 27:1, "And David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me anymore in any part of Israel. So I shall escape out of his hand.” David, in haste, and in frustration leaned on his own understanding and began a period of backsliding which lasted over a year. We then read in 28:8-11 that David and his men were now leading raids into the surrounding Bedouin communities, and resorted to robbery. He covered up his trail by killing all who could inform King Achish of the Philistines as he continually lied to this king about who he was attacking. This backsliding continues as we read him actually joining forces with the enemy, and becoming angry when he is denied actually going to war against God and God's people in 29:8, "So David said to Achish, “But what have I done? And to this day what have you found in your servant as long as I have been with you, that I may not go and fight against the enemies of my lord the king?”"
His period of backsliding hits rock bottom when all the families of his people and their belongings were taken captive by a band of Amalekites in 1 Samuel 30:6, "Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God." But at this pitiful state, we see the transition in those final words. After over a year of figuring things out on his own, trusting his own analysis, we read his next actions in 30:7-8, "Then David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, “Please bring the ephod here to me.” And Abiathar brought the ephod to David. So David inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I pursue this troop? Shall I overtake them?” And He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake them and without fail recover all.”" David realized that it was he who chose to leave God, and not the other way around. Most believe it was David who wrote these words in Psalm 118:6-8, "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is for me among those who help me; Therefore I shall see my desire on those who hate me. It is better to trust in the Lord Than to put confidence in man." David knew better, he just forgot. We must realize this same thing. God is always seeking us, always has His arms open to receive us, always forgives us, as His grace and mercy never end. All too often we turn our backs on Him. It might be for a day or over a year as it was for David at this time. That is why Paul rightly stated, "I die daily". So must we.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: