Do we really believe that God will keep us in all our troubles, as He did David?
From the day David met Saul, he became a fighter/warrior.
David was called under God to secure the nation of Israel from its enemies and make provision for the building of the Temple, though he himself never worshipped there.
David’s life must have seemed very difficult at times, continually hunted by superior forces, he and his men constantly fleeing for their lives. Yet God never allowed them to catch him – God kept David and delivered him in all his troubles!
One episode involved the citizens of a city called Keilah. The Philistines had attacked Keilah to loot their harvest, they didn’t just come at any time but waited until there was something to steal. The enemy may attack us to steal from us, at a strategic time, but God used David and his men to conquer the Philistines. David’s men were actually afraid to leave Judah, but David sought the Lord twice and set off to rescue the city and its people.
4 Once again David enquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, ‘Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.’ 5 So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. 6 (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.) 1 Samuel 23
David’s men were afraid of going out from their hiding place to fight the Philistines, but David led them into battle on the Lord’s command. It was profitable as they carried off the enemy’s livestock and put an end to their raiding. David’s men followed him as he followed the Lord and won a great victory.
Saul heard were David was and mustered his forces to go out and attack him, even after the victory over the Philistines, he still wanted to take David’s life. Saul’s comment was interesting, how he hoped to trap David in Keilah;
7 Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, ‘God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.’
Saul hoped that David would depend on the ‘gates and bars’, False Security. THE THINGS THAT THE WORLD LOOKS TO FOR SECURITY MAY WELL CAUSE IT’S DOWNFALL! Saul hoped David would put his confidence in the defences of the city, but he chose to follow the Lord and leave instead. Their first victory would not have been repeated, David was wise to withdraw.
The next scene was in the Desert of Maon, where Saul and his army hunted David and his men, each on either side of a mountain. As I’ve said before, ‘The Rock’ stood between them and Saul couldn’t get his hands on David. Then God had him called away to fight the Philistines and David escaped.
So long as David listened to the Lord he was safe, putting his trust in men’s defences would have been disastrous. We need to learn this for our own lives.
God bless and keep you today.