There is a truth I’ve discovered about how God helps us in times of need.
I could be going through a time of great chaos and uncertainty…
Yet amid the fear and worry, I notice the Lord is faithful and always provides a way of escape.
It could be something small…
For instance, imagine you’re trapped in a burning building…
The flames are getting thicker and the heat is intensifying…
You start to panic for your life…
But then you look over to your left…
And you notice a small window…
You walk closer and discover it’s large enough for you to squeeze through and escape.
I think this is a good example of how God often works in our lives.
If you’re feeling confused and depressed about some issue, He’ll send a person your way to communicate a comforting message you need to hear.
If you’re broke with no money to buy food, He’ll direct your attention to that can of beans you stored away in your cupboard a while ago…
And so on.
Why do I bring this up?
Because it reminds me of what happened when Avyatar arrived at David’s fort with the devastating news that Achimelech and all the priests at Nob had been slaughtered.
At that moment, David knew his lies and deception had caused this tragedy.
He openly confessed this and promised to care for Avyatar, the only surviving priest.
But here’s the thing…
And this is the important detail that connects to what I’ve been saying about how God provides what we need in tough times.
Although it’s not mentioned in this chapter (it’s mentioned in the next chapter), Avyatar managed to bring along the priest’s ritual vest with him when he escaped.
Why is this important?
Well, the ritual vest contained the precious Urim and Thummim.
This meant that David now had a way to interpret and discern God’s Will.
This was going to prove invaluable in the days ahead.
And that’s your takeaway.
Despite the chaos and tragedy of the situation…
Through Avyatar, the only priest who survived the massacre at Nob…
God provided a lifeline to David to ensure he would not only survive but thrive in the days ahead.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“No temptation has overtaken you
that is not common to man.
God is faithful, and he will not
let you be tempted beyond your ability,
but with the temptation
he will also provide the way
of escape, that you may
be able to endure it.”
-1 Corinthians 10:13
NEXT TIME WE BEGIN 1ST SAMUEL CHAPTER 23
It always comes back to FAITH. The devil doesn’t want us to know just how powerful a tool we are in the LORD’S hands when we remain in the JOY of the LORD, the JOY of His SALVATION freely given to us, remaining unwaveringly FAITHFUL in JESUS GOD.
If we truly BELIEVE, it really means: CLING TO, rely on, TRUST in, for SALVATION AND ETERNAL LIFE and literally EVERYTHING! Many think believe in John 3:16 means to only believe JESUS is Who Scriptures say He is, and that’s CRUCIAL as a start, but to REALLY Believe means to LOVINGLY, FAITHFULLY, TRUST IN JESUS GOD ALMIGHTY UNWAVERINGLY.
Yes there will be times we stumble because we took our eyes off JESUS, off the JOY of the LORD, which is Satan’s main tactic: steal, kill, destroy, through DISTRACTION! Satan doesn’t care HOW we are distracted… Only that we ARE distracted from JESUS CHRIST GOD ALMIGHTY…”I AM the WAY, the TRUTH, and the LIFE; no man cometh unto the Father, but by ME.” JOHN 14:6 KJV, “For God so loved the world He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish, but have EVERLASTING LIFE.” JOHN 3:16 KJV, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.” HABAKKUK 3:18 KJV, “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; And uphold me with thy free spirit.” Psalm 51:12 KJV, ”And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
ROMANS 8:28 KJV, ”But I say unto you, LOVE YOUR ENEMIES, BLESS THEM THAT CURSE YOU, DO GOOD TO THEM THAT HATE YOU, AND PRAY FOR THEM WHICH DESPITEFULLY USE YOU, AND PERSECUTE YOU; THAT YE MAY BE THE CHILDREN OF YOUR FATHER WHICH IS IN HEAVEN: FOR HE MAKETH HIS SUN TO RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD, AND SENDETH RAIN ON THE JUST AND ON THE UNJUST. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?” MATTHEW 5:44-46 KJV!
JESUS GOD uses it ALL for our good and the good of others. ONCE we TRULY BELIEVE and live by this, remaining in the JOY of the LORD, JOYFUL for OUR LORD and our SALVATION in Him, seeking Him first, loving GOD FIRST, above ALL else with ALL our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving others as we love ourselves, understanding that love is SELFLESSNESS, and keep our eyes on Jesus, THE JOY OF JESUS GOD AND SALVATION, instead of the law which does help when we are still sinners to convict sinners to REPENT, to turn to JESUS GOD but for those in Christ Jesus, focusing on the law serves to lead us to SIN more and more, not less because we are constantly trying to do what we can’t:
we try to keep the law and that’s not possible for us on our own; only JESUS GOD can do that for us, and He WILL when we just obey Him by staying JOYFUL in Him, JOYFUL in our SALVATION and focused on Jesus-not on anything else!.. THEN and ONLY then do we TRULY will have “PEACE THAT SURPASSES ALL UNDERSTANDING”! 👊❤️🔥✝️
Because at that point, we are living His Way and His Way is higher than ours. And when we don’t understand, just trust even more. Faith feel weak? Thank Him for giving you more. JOY feel low? Thank Him for restoring it to you like David did in Psalm 51:12! We must actually have FAITH in Him to do what we pray for in His WILL; if we are praying in His WILL, we should absolutely have FAITH He Will do what we ask simply because He Said so in His WORD!
John 14:12-15, 21, 23-26, 28 KJV:
[12] “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. [13] And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. [15] If ye love me, keep my commandments. [21] He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
[23] Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. [24] He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. [25] These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. [26] But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
[28] Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.”
Here is another huge topic: if we love Him we will keep His commandments. This is the TRUTH but He’s NOT saying to love Him we must keep the commandments! He’s saying IF WE LOVE HIM, we WILL keep His commandments! Not by striving to do so, not by focusing on the LAW! The law reflects GOD’S PERFECT CHARACTER and NATURE which we can’t measure up to; we aren’t meant to try to. The LAW is given to show us our sin, to confirm to us we are fallen short of GOD’s perfect GLORY and are SINNERS against Him
(young kids and those who can’t ever reach a point of understanding right from wrong and then choose to do wrong anyway, AKA SIN, can’t commit sin and as such are counted as RIGHTEOUS, for God IMPUTES His righteousness unto them just as He does for us who were SINNERS who He SAVED. ALL who do reach that understanding of right and wrong, become sinners. We are born with a sin nature but our actions aren’t counted as sins yet until we reach that point of understanding, because GOD is OUR awesome GOD who always does what’s right and good and has mercy, because He loves US BEYOND ALL IMAGINING).
That all said, We will keep the LAW, that is, GOD’S ETERNAL MORAL LAW, when we focus on JESUS GOD, remain JOYFUL in the LORD and in our SALVATION that He’s given us FREELY! When we stay JOYFUL in Him, with our focus on Him, trusting Him FAITHFULLY to take care of us and everyone, we are then able to obey Him more completely, we aren’t constantly reminded that we can’t measure up, and so our sin nature isn’t constantly persuaded to tempt us to sin MORE and more as would happen if we focused on trying to keep the law.
By focusing on JESUS GOD, on Who He is, on the JOY of JESUS CHRIST, the JOY of SALVATION, that JOY is our shield because it is rooted and made possible by FAITH IN God.
Are we truly having FAITH in God if we keep trying to do things on our own?! No!!! So when we worry, we disobey Him and thus operate in Satan’s power, not the LORD’S! This opens the door for the enemy to screw things up for us and the Lord will let him until we repent and even though He will have mercy on us once we seek His throne in confidence in prayer, thanking Him for forgiveness, correction, repentance, and mercy as well as restoring our JOY in Him and in our salvation, we move forward in the JOY of the LORD. This is why Satan does everything he can to steal our JOY, kill our JOY, and DESTROY our JOY, in every way, shape and form he can! A JOYFUL child of GOD is such a threat to Satan’s crumbling kingdom of Filth, that Satan will sink to unimaginable lows to shut us up, dim God’s light beaming through US IN the darkness, leading many to wake up and go towards the light and be SAVED!
To Satan there’s only one victory for he knows his fate ultimately ends in the lake of fire FOREVER: he imagines his victory comes in the form of taking as many souls to hell and the lake of fire as he possibly can.. And imagines he’s somehow harming God in the process. Well here is the TRUTH: there’s NO victory for the devil Satan because he won’t take anyone anywhere; we CHOOSE to be with the LORD or to be selfish and burn forever. We choose it and there’s no excuse for any to not choose to love Him who loves US FIRST, to be SAVED by Him, by His sacrifice which He by his Grace, gives us the FAITH to put in Him for, in order to be SAVED..
He is the one who does it ALL. We but have to choose Him GENUINELY, be willing to suffer for Him as He suffered so much worse for us FIRST… Be willing to obey his WILL, not ours. Be willing. Choose JESUS. Tomorrow isn’t promised.
“I AM THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND THE LIFE; NONE COME UNTO THE FATHER, BUT BY ME.” JOHN 14:6 KJV.
Amen!