1Sa 27:1 And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me anymore in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.
For a few mornings, we have been looking at one of David's most crushing periods of life. Life on the run and being despised by his nation and the men he loved eventually get the best of him. This verse is the beginning of a year and a half trip into enemy territory, not just visiting, but joining the Philistines and their armies and beginning to fight for them instead of against them. It leads to chapter 29 where the climax of his backsliding leads to his and his men's families being kidnapped, their homes being burned, and his men ready to stone him. What I want to press this morning is how small a matter kindled such a destructive fire in the life of David, and will in ours as well.
"David said in his heart." That is the matchstick that burned down nearly 2 years of David's life. Our hearts are desperately wicked, we still have an old man living in our bosom with us, he still likes to make his suggestions and pitch his ideas, and if we aren't very careful we will let our inner dialogue win out over the words of God. That is the tension taking place here, what David's heart is saying and what God has said. Isn't that the tension that we find ourselves in so often? My heart says things like "God couldn't love you" God says "I have loved you with an everlasting love." Our hearts say "You're going to starve to death serving God" God's word says "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you." David's heart examined the situation around him, the time he had spent on the run, and concluded "I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul." That sounds logical but the problem is that God had said in 1 Sam 16:1 " I have provided me a king." He was safeguarded by the word of God, he was as surely going to be King as the stars were going to hang in the sky because both of them were suspended by the same power, the word of God.
His heart whispered, "There is nothing better for you." How many times has this been the case? This seems to be a favorite of our fallen hearts, "there is nothing better for you." How those words cut like a knife when we believe them. The problem is they aren't even remotely true. David had nothing but better for him. He had a throne to sit on, peace to enjoy, children to be born and victory to be wrought in the chapters to come. So it is with us when under life's crushing circumstances we are tempted to think this is it, "There is nothing better for me." Dear friend, there is nothing but better for the Christian, We have thrones to sit on, peace to be enjoyed, and victory to be wrought, so wonderful is what is to come, that it cannot be compared to whatever small afflictions we pass through at this moment. If your heart whispers "There is nothing better" look a few chapters ahead and you'll see there is nothing but better for us.
His heart now devises an escape route, God's will was going to kill him, so we have to find a way out, "speedily escape into the land of the Philistines" is its plan. Does this sound familiar? It does for me, at 16 years old the Lord dealt with my heart about preaching but that was going to kill my reputation, and my plans, so I devised an escape route. Like David, I found some friends on the other side of the line who would take me in and I joined their ranks for a couple of years and my journey ended where David's did, in shambles. Our heart may think that it has found a trailhead that leads to a smoother, brighter end but rest assured it does not, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Oh how desperately wicked our hearts are and how deceptive! God's path may be uphill and fraught with perils, but it is environed round about with his strength and protection, and our path may be smooth, but it is downhill and leads to a pit. Don't take that exit you'll be years getting turned around.
Perhaps this morning someone's heart has been lying to them. Saying things contrary to God's word. Let Abraham's example be our guide "Who against hope believed in hope." God's word has been the means whereby our wicked hearts have been hushed and our minds have been calmed. We walk by faith, not by sight. Stop examining all the dangers and possibilities and examine God's word, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." The problem often is that we are hearing more of our heart than the word of God and of course, if the means of the faith, the word, are lacking our faith will be lacking. Secondly, stay on the path God set you on, even if it is rough, the roughness of it won't even be an afterthought when we get where we are going. The mountains of today will be less than anthills in the future. I think it is appropriate to end with a Prayer of David, and may it be our prayer as well, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:"
Amen, May the Lord help me.