It’s The Times In Between

It’s the Times In Between...

1 Samuel 21:10-15 NKJ

10 Then David arose and fled that day from before Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 11 And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing of him to one another in dances, saying:

‘Saul has slain his thousands,?And David his ten thousands’?”

12 Now David took these words to heart, and was very much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 13 So he changed his behavior before them, pretended madness in their hands, scratched on the doors of the gate, and let his saliva fall down on his beard. 14 Then Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is insane. Why have you brought him to me? 15 Have I need of madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

I want you to realize something, this is David a we're talking about here. A man after gods own heart. This is also someone who is facing intense persecution, who wants them eradicated. David was a lot of things to a lot of people, but in the end he was still human.

This is clearly a low point for David. Here’s why, David was always a warrior, known for a man of valor and hero status.

King Saul and the world around him had gone crazy, because the King had learned his son Jonathan had signed a covenant with David.

Through Sauls relentless pursuit as someone who knew his inevitable end, David had become somewhat delirious himself. We read a little bit more into the way that David felt, in psalms 56

Psalms 56:1-13 MSG

56 1-4 Take my side, God—I’m getting kicked around,

stomped on every day.

Not a day goes by

but somebody beats me up;

They make it their duty

to beat me up.

Take note here as how we read the entrance to self effort! This is when David is only relying on David! How many can relate to the words David is using to describe the condition of his life? Human nature is always predictable!

When I get really afraid

I come to you in trust.

I’m proud to praise God;

fearless now, I trust in God.

What can mere mortals do?

Ok something maybe unexpected happened (like maybe he thought he had things figured out for a minute) and now David realizes God's ability and finds rest for a moment! The assurance is short lived though and his reality of control quickly falls back to unrest and fear!

Human nature while always predictable, can never be trusted, nor can feelings and impulses controlled by human nature! We see like all of us, David emotions at times were like a roller coaster!

5-6 They don’t let up—

they smear my reputation

and huddle to plot my collapse.

They gang up,

sneak together through the alleys

To take me by surprise,

wait their chance to get me.

7 Pay them back in evil!

Get angry, God!

Down with these people!

David comes to the conclusion, like all of us do when

We finally push our human nature aside, only God

Is going to be able to take care of our battles!

And when he does David also senses, God was always there and never far away from any thing he had gone through!

How much easier would our lives be to live, if we would never allow our human nature to influence our spiritual walk and relationship with God?

8 You’ve kept track of my every toss and turn

through the sleepless nights,

Each tear entered in your ledger,

each ache written in your book.

Even with God’s attentiveness to the greatest detail in our lives, we like to still set conditions or ask for some kind of sign from God, so we will feel at peace!

9 If my enemies run away,

turn tail when I yell at them,

Then I’ll know

that God is on my side.

10-11 I’m proud to praise God,

proud to praise God.

Fearless now, I trust in God;

what can mere mortals do to me?

What David senses is God's Grace and love, and when he senses Grace and Love, he finds The peace that passes all understanding. And with that he finds the comfort and rest he has desperately been looking for!

12-13 God, you did everything you promised,

and I’m thanking you with all my heart.

You pulled me from the brink of death,

my feet from the cliff-edge of doom.

Now I stroll at leisure with God

in the sunlit fields of life.

Now remember when we read this, David is a prisoner in a foreign land, he has been on the run fleeing for his life! David is to the point, he acts like he's on trial and pleads insanity, to keep from being killed!