by Arthelo Palma
1 Samuel 21
However, great men of God were tested in their faith most when they faced situations involving life and death. One of them was David.
David was on the process of becoming Israel ’s next
king. For this, God was preparing to make the right attitude of his heart.
David’s trust in God was put to the test when he was at Nob and Gath .
Due to his fear of Saul, he lied to Ahimelech, the priest at
Nob, when asked why he was alone.
David continued to flee from Saul and he finally reached at Gath . But one of the
servants of Achish the king of Gath recognized
him, and believed he was Israel ’s
king. That servant heard the Israelite’s sung “Saul has slain his thousands,
and David his tens of thousands.”
“David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of
Achish king of Gath .
So he pretended to be insane in their presence, and while he was in their hands
he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting
saliva run down his beard” (verses 12-13).
Could we say David might have failed at this point? Remember, he was
still on the process, and everything that happened to him that time was for his lesson to learn, as God continues to show him His mighty power. We should remember
that following God requires inner transformation. We cannot totally serve Him
if our heart remain unchecked, for it would only cause our faith in Him to
wave, especially in moments of discomforts mostly on matters concerning life
and death.
God’s message:
David was overpowered by his fear, and he forgot to realize
God was his Deliver starting from the paws of the bear and the lion, and the
intimidating giant Goliath. Today, God reminded us that whenever situations
concerning life and death arise, God is in control of everything for us who are
part of His great plan.
God’s promise:
God is true to His promise, and He provides all the needs of
His chosen people, especially those who are in the process of becoming His
servant. If God is with us, no one and nothing can stand against us (Romans
8:31).
God’s command:
Always trust in the Lord our God, for He wants to see a good
response from us, especially in times of the testing of our faith.
God’s warning:
Just like what happened to David, fear and lost of trust in
the Lord would result to playing the role of an insane man. I am sure we do not want to
live in insanity, so we must always put our trust in the Lord our God, all the
time, especially in situations involving life and death.
Applications:
Always remember, God will never leave nor forsake us
(Hebrews 13:5). He is true to His promise. And that is one thing He cannot do,
to break His promise for us who obey in His words. So be sure to obey God so
that we can always claim His promise. We cannot claim this promise if we
deliberately disobey His commands. So know His commands and follow them to
receive promise and we will live having no fear of everything.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, in the name of Jesus Christ, we would like
to thank You for reminding us once again today that you are always in control
of our life. You are our Creator so You know us very well. We could feel fear
sometimes and we would like to ask for forgiveness for not trusting in You, Lord.
Please increase our faith in You. Thank You for Your Words that are coming to
Your people today, and I ask that You’ll protect them, in the name of Jesus
Christ. Amen!
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