RTW April 18
Feeling VS Facts
But David kept thinking to himself, “Someday Saul is going to get me. The best thing I can do is escape to the Philistines. Then Saul will stop hunting for me in Israelite territory, and I will finally be safe.”
1 Samuel 27:1
My Takeaways
Something Old
Our feelings lie and impair our judgment. It is spiritually dangerous to allow our feelings to determine our direction. When we make this mistake we:
- Go where God never intended us to go.
Who would have ever guessed the giant slaying hero would end up living among the Philistines in town given to him by King Achish? - May unintentionally bring harm to others.
David took his family and the families of the 600 men, who were following him, into the Philistine territory. - Do things God wouldn’t approve us to do.
David led raids and looting. God didn’t direct David to fight the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites. These invasions were an effort to justify his rogue behavior as he attacked those groups who were enemies of Israel. - Serve a master other than the Master.
David wanted to please Achish and therefore continued raiding enemies of the Philistines.
Something New
Where is my Philistine territory? Where do I go when the waiting gets tough? What do I do?
Something To Do
Don’t act on what I think or how I feel. Act on what I know and what God says.
Thank you, Wendy. This is so very good. I read your Waiting Well book in a difficult season of my life, and this new revelation intrigues me. God is using you mightily in these updated videos and lessons for His glory. I appreciate all the time and effort you put into this Bible study in addition to your already busy life (life of immeasurably more—loved that book as well!).
1 Samuel 27:1 was the verse that stood out to me today as well! I had been thinking JUST yesterday how I don’t really talk to God about my problems – I think about them, and assume God receives my thoughts as prayers. Ahhhh, but not all my thoughts are positive – and like David, they are not reality! I loved how Guzik writes about this verse (the NKJV uses the phrase “David said in his heart”:
The sad story of 1 Samuel 27 begins with something David said in his heart. He may have never said it out loud; he may have never said it to anyone else; he may have never said it to God. But David said it in his heart. What we say in our heart has a tremendous power to shape our thinking, our actions, even our whole destiny.
David forgot God’s promise … he focused on what he saw with his eyes, which led him to partner with the enemy instead of God. David believed his own thoughts over God’s promises. He trusted his own feelings, his own heart – but the heart is deceitful.
I need to talk to God MORE … instead of talking to myself. I need to remind myself of God’s promises in my wait.
On a more lighthearted note – I envision David sneaking into Saul’s camp as sort of a mischievous little child … “look what I’m doing. I’m standing here and Saul doesn’t even know I’m here. Hehehehehehe” I don’t know, maybe it’s just my weird sense of humor 🙂
To Do: Talk to God instead of myself. When I’m afraid or unsure, Trust in God as Psalm 56 says multiple times!
You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. Psalm 56:8-9
I call to you for help.
This I know: GOD IS ON MY SIDE!
God only knows. He knows everything about me…my joys, my pains, my hurts, my sorrows. He collects my tears. How intimate this relationship is.
He is for me…my teammate, my partner, my cheerleader. He is the best friend I’ve always dreamed of, like that friend you’ve had since childhood who knows you best, better than anyone, who has cried with you, listened to you, laughed with you, comforted you, been with you through everything, all of life’s ups and downs, good times and bad. The first person you call when something happens or you need advice or just need them to listen. You don’t have to prove yourself, you can just BE yourself. Your go-to person in everything. The person you could not imagine your life without and you don’t even remember life without them or before them, but you know it was missing something. You know you can call them anytime day or night and they will answer. You can count on them to always be there.
This is God to me. I’m realizing that as much as I would love to have this in humans, I just don’t. I was a different person when I was younger and went through a lot of hard stuff, I didn’t know how to be a good friend and I wasn’t one to most of the people I called friends back then.
But God is on our side!
He knows everything and He sees! We have to continue calling on him for help and trusting in Him…He’s got our backs!
He won’t let our feet slip from the solid rock foundation he put us on.
God led me to Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
https://youtu.be/vCpP0mFD9F0
God took me so much further in today’s reading even after I posted earlier. This really is on my heart and God wants us all to know He is in the waiting. Instead of getting impatient and taking matters into our own hands, trying to get to ________, may we all just pause, slow down and appreciate with deep gratitude the gift that is the waiting, because He is there in it and wants us to experience Him in it…what better gift than His presence and our experience of Him.
Take courage my heart, stay steadfast my soul, He’s in the waiting….
https://youtu.be/xwvkLYJkOkk
Psalm 56 really spoke to me today. Especially the last few verses. I am so grateful for Jesus rescuing me from death. I now am able to walk in God’s presence – in His life giving light. This easter week has had me focusing more on the cross and these verses reminded me again if the glorious blessing and hope of easter!
—Learn From David about how to be a woman of integrity. Don’t be rash. Think before speaking and acting and seek God for how to respond.
—Remember that God is in control and will accomplish what He wills. He “had put Saul’s me into a deep sleep” so David was able to take Saul’s spear and water jug.
—Psalm 56 is so rich!!