The Bible says, ‘[David] thought to himself, “One of these days, Saul is going to kill me. The only way to escape from him is to go to Philistia”’ (v.1 CEV). At other times, David had ‘enquired of the Lord’ (see 23:2, 4 NIVUK). He had also looked for advice from experienced, proven counsellors. But this time, he was guided by his fears and ended up defecting to enemy territory. And it gave him a temporary sense of relief. Looking to the wrong source can do that – but it doesn’t last. Solomon said: ‘You may think you are on the right road and still end up dead. Sorrow may hide behind laughter, and happiness may end in sorrow. You harvest what you plant, whether good or bad…be smart and know where you are headed’ (Proverbs 14:12-15 CEV). Eventually, the Philistines rejected David because they couldn’t trust him. They said, ‘Send David back to the town you gave him. We won’t have him going into the battle with us. He could turn and fight against us!’ (1 Samuel 29:4 CEV). We need to be careful when we’re in a spiritual slump, because the decisions we make can have long-lasting consequences and impacts. David ended up being rejected by the Philistines, and had no country and no family to go home to. Here’s what we can learn from his story: 1) Instead of listening to your fears, listen to God. Standing among the ruins of his life, ‘David found strength in the Lord’ (1 Samuel 30:6 NIV), and we will, too. 2) Look for wise, trusted counsellors. It’s often the last thing we’ll feel like doing, but ‘the more wise counsel you follow, the better’ (Proverbs 11:14 MSG).
