David's Darkest Days
July 2020 |
We all face them. I’m talking about dark days—days when you wish you had stayed in bed; days when everything went wrong; days when you wondered if there was one person in the whole world who would stand up for you. We’ve all had them. Even spiritual giants in the Bible have had dark days. Today, I want to talk about David’s darkest days.
All Was Great…Until
David was anointed to be the next king of Israel. He lived in the palace, dressed in the finest clothes, and ate every meal at the king’s banqueting table. All was great until he heard the distinct sound of a spear passing close to his right ear—too close! It was not a time to have a heart-to-heart talk with King Saul. It was a time to run.
Public Enemy Number One
At that moment, David became public enemy number one. That’s the way Saul saw David. God, on the other hand, still saw David as the apple of His eye. There are times when the dark days of our lives make us wonder if we have become public enemy number one. Always remember that no matter how bad a day you’re experiencing, you are worth dying for. Well, at least, Jesus thought so.
The Cave Of Adullam
David exchanged the posh apartment in Saul’s palace for a large, one-bedroom cave. The cave of Adullam was not chosen for its picturesque view, but because it was a defendable hideout. David was now surrounded by society’s outcasts. “And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him” (I Sam. 22:2). Have you ever been in distress? Have you ever been in debt? Have you ever been discontented? Where did you go? To whom did you turn? Did you turn to your heavenly David? Run to Jesus! Run to the cross! It’s better than a cave any day.
The Darkest Days
All of a sudden, David lost his way. He became a servant of Achish, the king of Gath. Why in the world did David think that going to the city of a giant whom he had killed would be a good idea? He certainly did not inquire of the Lord for direction. He simply packed up his one-room cave and moved to Gath. To make things even stranger, this happened right after King Saul had blessed him.
Sixteen Months In Ziklag
For sixteen months, David lived in Ziklag and attacked the cities of the Geshurites, the Gezrites, and the Amalekites and brought the spoils to King Achish. He told him that he had attacked cities in Judah. These were his darkest days. He hid from Saul, but it appears that he also hid himself from God. During this time, there are no signs of God’s hand upon David. During this time, David did not write any psalms. These were David’s darkest days. God had used him while he was a fugitive to deliver the city of Keilah. God had protected him. God had even spoken to David while he was a fugitive, but not so in Ziklag. Instead of running to Achish, David should have run to God.
Run To God
Do we seek to hide from our troubles? Do we try to find a place where we can pretend we are something we are not? Instead of living in your darkest days, run to God. He is on your side. “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose” (Rom. 8:28).
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