After David defeated Goliath, he still had a rough ride leading up to his becoming king. First, he had to weather the wrath of Saul. David had, unbeknownst to him, upstaged Saul when he defeated Goliath. When David was elevated to hero Saul who was already insecure, went ballistic. David’s faith would be challenged, and He would have his low points, where he struggled to do the right thing. But, let’s face it, all of us, like David, are not perfect. God knows this is true. Every day a war rages in our souls, a power struggle that pits our will against God’s plan, a power struggle that’s part of the human condition. One of the workings of God’s Spirit within the believer is that when we wrestle through our fears and doubts, we learn to trust the Lord, leading to His will becoming our will.
We discover in 1 Samuel 18:20-27 that King Saul is such a despicable man that he devises a plan to use his own daughter to destroy David. Saul waves the typical bride price, usually money, and tells David he can display his valor instead. The king tells David he will accept the foreskins from 200 of the “uncircumcised” Philistines as the dowry. He mistakenly wagers that the Philistines, who would not willingly give up their foreskins, would kill David. However, David succeeds and delivers the requested bride price and continues to have success after success on the battlefield (1 Samuel 18:30). It must have seemed to David that he was on the fast track to becoming king. Still, a major road hazard was just around the corner. Saul, led by horrendous jealousy, tries to kill David with a spear, causing David to flee (1 Samuel 19:8-10). Thus, begins a nearly 7-year period where David is a fugitive.
David was a man on the run. At night he had to hide in tight places with a rock for a pillow. He had to go without seeing his family and the satisfaction of eating any home-cooked meals. His only friends were rejected from the army and society, and a real army pursued him. He could never stay in one place for long. He was always on the move.
Once Saul is encamped with five times as many as David’s men, which suggests Saul’s paranoia. David refuses to kill Saul but cuts off a corner from Saul’s robe, which symbolizes Saul’s royal authority (1 Samuel 24:1–7). David respects Saul’s position as God’s anointed king, even though he (David) had been anointed as the next king. In fact, David declares, “May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you” (1 Samuel 24:12). David believes that Saul should be punished for his wrongdoing, but he is willing to let the Lord avenge him.
Things get so bad for David that he finds refuge by joining forces with the Philistines, Israel’s sworn enemy (1 Samuel 27:1). Consider it: David and his ragtag crew gain some safety and stability by living among the Philistines, though they avoid attacking Israel. Eventually, Saul and his son Jonathan die in a battle against the Philistines, and David is made king of Israel (1 Chronicles 10:13-14).
I believe when we look at this period of David’s life, we discover something worth emulating. David was a man on the run, who was running from Saul, but to the Lord. We learn from David’s time on the run that we must place our trust in the Lord when facing challenging situations.
It’s easy to look at such an account and think, why would God let such a horrific season in the life of David, “a man after His own heart?” However, I would remind us that God not only allowed but sent His own Son to die for us, to be beaten beyond recognition and crucified in our stead. Why? God did this to fulfill His salvific purposes, out of love, offering us everlasting life and an opportunity to become part of His forever family by accepting Christ as Savior and Lord.
Through his account in Scripture, God teaches David and us a few indispensable lessons. First, we discover that God is working, even when we don’t see it. Secondly, we find that God is responsible for final justice and will deliver it in due time. Then, thirdly, we discover that David, nor any of us, can bring about God’s plan by our own strength or wisdom; we need to allow God to lead and, in partnership with Him (keeping in step with the Spirit), see His kingdom come and will be done.
The truth is that God has a remarkable plan for our lives in Him. This plan is worked out in a Fallen world; therefore, it’s fulfilled within the highs and lows in our lives, but God’s plan will prevail. Therefore, the best choice is to put our trust in the Lord, realizing He is faithful and true to His promises.
Life everlasting and eternity with Christ in paradise is a remarkable reward. However, when we enter into a saving relationship with Jesus Christ, we are offered much more in the here and now. We don’t come to Christ perfect, but there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). We still deal with temptations, but in Christ, we have been given power over sin and the ability to be victorious over temptation (Romans 8:2; 1 Corinthians 10:13). Life can be rough and complicated, but we are offered real peace (Romans 8:6; Philippians 4:6-7). Our enemy, culture, and own destructive leanings attempt to rob us of joy, but in Christ, we can have abundant life (John 10:10). We may feel alone and isolated by others, but believers have a new identity as children of the King, part of His forever family (1 Peter 2:9). We might be weak and weary, but the believer is granted the strengthening power of the Holy Spirit when we are weak (Ephesians 3:14-19). We might feel adrift, but our Lord gives wisdom to all who ask with a heart willing to obey (James 1:5). Finally, if the above list, which is not comprehensive, is not enough, the Lord has granted us every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3). Therefore, facing challenging situations, and at all times, we must and can, like David, place our trust in the Lord. Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!