Providence

“…they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.” 1 Samuel 26:12 (NKJV)

No one prayed. Nobody sought wisdom. They just did. They acted. How did they know they were going to succeed? How did they know that God was with them?

David was being pursued by the king of Israel. Saul wanted David dead and was doing everything he could to make it happen. But David kept slipping out of his hands. At last, Saul and his armies had found David hiding in the Wilderness of Ziph and were ready to pounce the next day. 

That night David has a plan. He wants to go into the camp, steal king Saul’s spear and a water jug sitting next to his head. Why? To show that at any point, if he wanted, he could kill the king. How was this accomplished? The Lord put every warrior in the camp in a deep sleep. It could not have been accomplished without God’s help. But he didn’t and wouldn’t because, although Saul was David’s enemy, David was not the King’s.

How could David be sure that he could pull off this dangerous covert operation without injury or death? Because of God’s promise. David would be king one day, that was sure. He took that promise to the bank and cashed it in. 

How can we know we are making good, godly, decisions? When we rest upon the promises that God has given. We don’t have to worry. There is no anxiety with the people of God because we know that He who promised is faithful. 

In chapter 27, David is weary and forgets his promise and heads to the Philistines for over a year. This puts him in a precarious position but does not make the promise of non-effect. After lying and cheating and even almost losing everything—David once again encourages himself in the Lord and is set back on the promises of God. He eventually realizes that promise and becomes the king of Israel. 

Are you wrestling with a choice you must make? Look for God’s promises to you and act accordingly. You may already possess the answer you’ve been looking for. 

D. V.