Then David
said to himself, “Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is
nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul
then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel,
and I will escape from his hand.” (v.1)
In todays
reading, the real story is in what’s missing.
There's not a single mention of seeking God or God's perspective in this
passage. The text's silence at this point speaks volumes.
In today’s passage, David is telling himself that sooner or
later, Saul was going to capture him, so “the best thing I can do is to escape
to the land of the Philistines” (27:1). Given all we have seen of God's
repeated protection, David's decision to find safety among the godless
Philistines rather than in God's continued care is totally off.
At no point does David seek the Lord, His promises, or His past
protection. The absence of prayer in today's text points us back to others who
forgot God as the true source of their security. We may understand, even sympathize
with David's difficulties, but Scripture also warns us against leaving God out
of our decision-making processes.
Today’s passage reminds us that all of God’s children falter in
their faith, even David. It is not easy to remain patient during times of great
stress but moving forward with a choice (which seems wise to us) without
God in it, usually leads to trouble.
Therefore, do not lose heart as David did but look at God – not
at the wind or the waves but to Him who calms them both.
The Truth
But He
said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He
arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.
(Matthew 8:26)
