A Patient Heart

Has there ever been a time in your life where things were going badly and they just kept getting worse? You thought you had hit rock bottom, but circumstances continued to deteriorate? In this passage from 1 Samuel we see a time in David's life where things "just couldn't get any worse," until they did. In fact, it was David's worst day ever. And we learn that even on our very worst day, God is at work to bring about good in our lives.

Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul (Saul’s never going to give up!). There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” So David arose and went over, he and the 600 men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath. 

In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

But the commanders of the Philistines were angry with Achish. And the commanders of the Philistines said to him, “Send the man (David) back, that he may return to the place to which you have assigned him. He shall not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he become an adversary to us. For how could this fellow reconcile himself to his king? Would it not be with the heads of the men here? 

Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.

Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. They cried, and cried and cried.

And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. 

But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. 

And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.”  (The ephod was a part of the Apron that a chief priest wore. We don’t know exactly how it worked, but God used the ephod regularly to communicate with the Kings of Israel when they had a difficult decision to make. And here God communicates with David). So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” God answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.

They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink, and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.

And David said to him, “To whom do you belong? And where are you from?” He said, “I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick 3 days ago. We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb  and we burned Ziklag with fire.”

And David said to him, “Will you take me down to this band?” And he said, “Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band.”

David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives. Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all.

- 1 Samuel 27-31