DAVID A man after God's own heart!

Good morning!  Happy Sabbath!

Question of the day: What are you thankful for today?

Before we get started this morning it is important that we take a moment and review where we are in this story.

1. David was chosen by God and anointed.
2. David killed Goliath. (with God's strength)
3. David becomes friends with Jonathan (a gift from God)
4. Saul tries to kill David
5. David becomes a mighty warrior (with God's strength)
6. Saul tries to kill David
7. David runs from Saul
8. David gets scared and acts like a crazy man, and lies (on his own...)
9. All the priests and an entire town were murdered because of David.
10. David sees the error of his ways and turns to God.
11. David has the opportunity to kill Saul and doesn't. (at God's instruction)
12 David runs from Saul
13. David tiptoes through the select to Saul, has the opportunity to kill him... but doesn't. (at God's instruction)

We have seen David a humble shepherd boy, who understood the power of the God he served. We have seen David a strong warrior, who understood that God had and would do a mighty thing through him.  We have seen a David who was confident in what he could do with God and stepped up and did it.  We have also seen a David who failed to trust in the protection of God, and rely on his ability to act mad and steel to eat. We have seen a David who without laying blame accepted the responsibility of bloodshed as a result of his self reliance. We then saw a David who at every turn asked God for direction. We saw a David who respected the anointed in spite of his fear.  Now... it appears David has learned and has seen the power of God, has learned to rely on him.... now.... now...

Now we begin chapter 27.
The first four word five words... WHAT?!

27 But David thought to himself,

Why?

Seriously!

How many times are we guilty of this?

We see the work of God.

We see what happens when we don't trust him.

We  experience His grace, forgiveness, redemption, protection.

We ask Him, we ask Him,

We know God is with us.....

Then the next day....

We think to OURSELVES.....

How did it work out for David?  Let's read on...

NOTICE this next passage is in quotation marks...

 “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”

What is the first sentence?

What is wrong with this way of thinking?

Ellen White writes in Patriarchs and Prophets, "David's conclusion that Saul would certainly accomplish his murderous purpose was formed without the counsel of God. Even while Saul was plotting and seeking to accomplish his destruction, the Lord was working to secure David the kingdom. God works out His plans, though to human eyes they are veiled in mystery. Men cannot understand the ways of God; and, looking at appearances, they interpret the trials and tests and provings that God permits to come upon them as things that are against them, and that will only work their ruin. Thus David looked on appearances, and not at the promises of God. He doubted that he would ever come to the throne. Long trials had wearied his faith and exhausted his patience."

We always risk going down the wrong path when we look at the "obvious" and not at the promises of God.  When we assume the worse, it is a cancer that grows. We let our even seemingly obvious negative assumptions take us down a path of wrong decision making!  We have been told over and over again, to focus on God, His word, His promises, whatever is good, whatever is pure, so why is it so easy to do exactly as David and doubt? 

The next sentence, first six words are?

"THE BEST THING I CAN DO..."  

How should David have finished this sentence?

Chris and I are at a new stage in this beautiful occupation of parenting.  The past few weeks I have struggled with what I should be doing or not doing.  What and when do I speak, when should I be quiet? How do I parent?   I have had some sleepless nights, struggling.  Then last week, our pastor, Ryan Ashlock, preached a sermon about wisdom.  I sat there hoping for just the right formula... I needed to know the answers to my questions.

The answer came.  Loud and clear.  Pastor Ryan ended with a call, and with tears rolling down my face, I walked forward with a renewed commitment to seek Jesus.   Pastor Ryan made it clear that wisdom is JESUS.  If we are seeking wisdom, it isn't seeking our own understanding, but seeking Jesus. The sleepless nights came from not trusting Him.  The sleepless nights came from seeking my own ideas, my own thoughts.  

David wrote,  Psalms 105:4,  "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."  

The sleepless nights came from seeking my understanding. Seeking Jesus brings peace and sleep.   I wasn't looking to the Lord and his strength, I wasn't seeking wisdom (Jesus).  If I want to know how to parent adult children, I can seek the knowledge of professionals, which may be helpful, (I do recommend seeking professional help! God can work through them!),  but let's be real, when have parenting experts always had the right answer for every child (adult)  in every situation. If I want to know how to parent adult children, I need to be on my knees seeking Jesus, looking to His strength.  He may use professionals, but my first work, my most intense work needs to be, looking to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always!

Where does David run?

When was the last time he did this?

He runs to the Philistines.  Seriously! 

It sounds crazy.  Is it?

What do we run to?

When you are afraid, where do you run?

When you can't sleep, what do you do?

Where do you really turn?

Sometimes it is easier to talk about where the world, (hypothetical, non God fearing people,) turn.

So where does the world turn when they are needing protection?

Where does the world turn when they are afraid? 

Let's continue reading: 

2 So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. 3 David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal.4 When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.

Was he alone?

When we make bad decisions, do we take others along with us?

Did going to Gath work out well for him?  Did it accomplish the objective? 

IT WORKED!  Does that mean he was doing the will of God?

Ellen White writes, "The Lord did not send David for protection to the Philistines, the most bitter foes of Israel. This very nation would be among his worst enemies to the last, and yet he had fled to them for help in his time of need. Having lost all confidence in Saul and in those who served him, he threw himself upon the mercies of the enemies of his people. David was a brave general, and had proved himself a wise and successful warrior; but he was working directly against his own interests when he went to the Philistines. God had appointed him to set up his standard in the land of Judah, and it was want of faith that led him to forsake his post of duty without a command from the Lord."

Just because Saul quit searching for him, doesn't suggest that it was the will of God.  How many times do we let, the "success" justify our sinfulness?

Just because it seems to temporarily fix the problem, doesn't make it the right choice.  

Let's continue reading: 

5 Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be assigned to me in one of the country towns, that I may live there. Why should your servant live in the royal city with you?”

6 So on that day Achish gave him Ziklag, and it has belonged to the kings of Judah ever since. 7 David lived in Philistine territory a year and four months.

Four a year and four months, they lived in their country town. All because the sought the favor of the enemy.

I have been very open with each of you about my struggle with food.  (let's be real that isn't a struggle that is easy to hide even if I wanted to.)  Was it the food I was really struggling with?  The food was great!  It gave me comfort, warmth, joy, happiness, pleasure. I need food, I enjoy food!   

Ziklag, gave David and his family, his men and their families, lots of great things. They didn't have to live in caves.  They had a town, a normal life, they had protection. Ziklag was great.  Right? 

Let's finish reading the chapter... 

8 Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites, the Girzites and the Amalekites. (From ancient times these peoples had lived in the land extending to Shur and Egypt.) 9 Whenever David attacked an area, he did not leave a man or woman alive, but took sheep and cattle, donkeys and camels, and clothes. Then he returned to Achish.

10 When Achish asked, “Where did you go raiding today?” David would say, “Against the Negev of Judah” or “Against the Negev of Jerahmeel” or “Against the Negev of the Kenites.” 11 He did not leave a man or woman alive to be brought to Gath, for he thought, “They might inform on us and say, ‘This is what David did.’” And such was his practice as long as he lived in Philistine territory. 12 Achish trusted David and said to himself, “He has become so obnoxious to his people, the Israelites, that he will be my servant for life.”

I don't know about you but I struggled with this passage.  It sounds terrible.  Not only was David living under the enemy's king but he was killing his people and taking their wealth.  I did find this statement in Patriarchs and Prophets, "David knew that it was the will of God that those heathen tribes should be destroyed, and he knew that he was appointed to do this work; but he was not walking in the counsel of God when he practiced deception."

Is it possible for us to listen to God when we have put our life in the safety of the enemy?

I spent much of my life seeking the safety of food, instead of the safety of God, and yet during that time I was giving so much of my life to God.  I was working for him as best I could. I was listening to him.  I was failing daily, yet having huge successes in other areas of my life.  God still walked beside me.   

I praise God that he doesn't wait to use us, until we have it all figured out. 

I am comforted to know that David, a man after God's own heart, learned lessons, and at times still went back and made the same mistakes over again.  He was sinful man with weaknesses, and bad days, and terrible moments, who kept seeking after God.  He struggled with God, and still yearned to serve him.  

I want to learn from David to: 
1. Seek after God's will not be ruled by my thoughts.
2.  Seek after God and not be ruled by my fears, and negative assumptions.
3. Seek comfort and safety in the only one who can truly give it, God.
4. Remember that even when I am in the midst of the mess I made, God is still willing to do a work in my life and to even use me for him.

GOD'S NOT FINISHED WITH ME YET!!!!