NEVER DOUBT GOD!
TEXT:
"And David said in his heart, I shallI 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 any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand." - (1st Samuel 27 verse 1, King James Version).
To doubt God is a very serious spiritual sin. It's tantamount to calling Him a liar! The Bible says that God cannot lie because it's impossible for Him to lie (See Titus 1 verse 2; Hebrews 6 verse 18; Numbers 23 verse 19 and 2nd Timothy 2 verse 13). As you have His Word on any aspect of your life, do yourself a favor to believe Him, and do so in spite of whatever contrary evidence there may be. The reason for this is that He is a God who “will hasten His Word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1 verse 12). The word "hasten" means: "to watch over," "to look after," "to protect," or "to stand behind." As it has been rightly said, It is the honor of God that he cannot lie or deceive: and this is the comfort of believers, whose treasure is laid up in his faithful promises.
David was a man who had tangible and cogent reasons to believe God for his protection and never to doubt Him in that regard. God had anointed him king over Israel in place of Saul (1st Samuel 16 verse 13). This was enough token to assure him that his safety was not only sacrosanct but inviolable. But in spite of his choice as king, it took time for David to actually ascend to the throne of Israel. In the meantime, Saul had rolled out a good chunk of his army with him commanding, to hunt down David, the anointed of God.
But here in the Scripture reading for today, David had become apprehensive about his safety, saying, "I shallI 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;". Judging by God's past dealings with David, his servant, the thought of his heart at this time was at best a false thought, because he certainly had no ground for thinking that God’s anointing him by Samuel was intended to be left as an empty, unmeaning act. For David to think so is nothing more than an act of unbelief, and doubting God's ability to protect him. Yet, there's no known one occasion in the entire gamut of the Holy Bible where the Lord was shown to have deserted and failed David, His servant.
Allowing himself to be thus misled, David and his men for fear of death in the hands of Saul arose and escaped to the land of the Philistines (1st Samuel 27 verse 2). Although his escape as aforesaid did put an end to his fear of death in Saul's hands (1st Samuel 27 verse 4), it wasn't without a price! Let's understand that leaving God's appointed place for another could have grave consequences. For instance, in order to keep himself in the good books of the Philistines to whose land he fled for refuge, he lied (1st Samuel 27 verses 8 to 12), feigned madness (see 1st Samuel 21 verses 10 to 15), opted to fight on the side of the Philistines against Israel, his own people (see 1st Samuel 28 verses 1 to 2 and 1st Samuel 29). He did many more ungodly things aside from his ordeals following the capture of his family and the families of his men by the Amalekites when Ziklag, David's city of refuge was sacked and burned with fire (see 1st Samuel 30).
All these befell David because he doubted God's ability to keep and protect him from Saul, his enemy. But is it not just in the same way that we doubt God’s help? Has he for once failed to justify our trust? Let's learn to recall God's past faithful dealings with us and we would be strengthened and without fail cast down through the window the Jezebel of unbelief and doubt, and let the dogs devour them.
PRAYER:
Lord, I am confident that You will do for me what You have said to do. May I never doubt You, in Jesus name.