Sermon of the Week: Trusting God

(In this 84th installment of the UPI series of sermons, the Rev. Dr. John C. Compton, pastor of First Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., reflects on David's trust in God).

This sermon is based on 1 Samuel 19:9-12.

Today's text is about David's trust in God while he was a fugitive. During his earlier, formative years in his father's house his character developed. Now we learn how David's convictions were shaped. They would guide him for the rest of his life and make him the greatest king of Israel.

Everything had been going so well for David. He was a hero after fighting Goliath, he was a commander in the Army, part of the royal court. The Bible tells us he was a "successful man."

Then suddenly everything went wrong. He began to loose one by one the things he valued and enjoyed. David did not need that on his way to becoming the national leader.

It is sobering when you look that very few things in life are permanent. Just when we think that everything is in order we lose something we value. All of us have experienced this.

From the Bible we learn that Godly persons suffer losses, like everybody else. According to scripture, David was a good man, sensitive to God's will. He had honored his father, served the king and continued a life a humility and service to God and country.

But Saul was so jealous of David and tried to kill him for a third time. David had to flee. No longer was he to play the harp as a palace musician or serve as the king's personal armor bearer or be a commander in the royal army. Now he was being hunted down like a dog.

Then he lost his wife, too. She was Saul's daughter. He fled to her. She knew her father would have him killed in the morning and warned David, "Get out of here." He'd never see her again.

After that David lost his friend and mentor Samuel, who had anointed him the next king of Israel. David sought refuge in Samuel's house. The two went to another town to hide. But Saul found them. Again, David had to flee, taking leave of Samuel for good.

David suffered these losses because of no fault of his own. What he went through happens to all of us -- our suffering is caused by the sins of others. Like David, we must let God judge these others without becoming become bitter and angry ourselves.

David did not say to, "Well, I have loved God with all my heart mind and soul and now look at how much I have lost." Instead he continued seeking Godly counsel. That's why he went to his mentor Samuel's home.

And that's why together with Samuel he proceeded to God's tabernacle in the city of Nob to consult the high priest Abimelech, who told him, "Go back into the land of Judah," which David did.

What does this passage tell us? When things go wrong we often develop tunnel vision. Therefore someone with a clear mind must consider our situation and give us sound advice. Meanwhile, we must continue living by God's principles.

David did this and more. He kept on caring for others. Continuing his flight, David hid in the caves of Adullum. Word got out that he was hiding there. About 400 other people that Saul had mistreated joined David.

All were distressed because of heavy taxes and other forms of oppression. He cared for then, and they became the nucleus of David's mighty men of valor.

He also cared for his parents, making arrangements with the King of Moab to take them in during this time of persecution by the King of Israel. In other words, instead of becoming bitter and selfish, he accepted his situation and made the best of it.

This tells us that we often cannot reverse our loss by ourselves. But we are to be in control of how we respond -- by being Godly not only when things go well but also in times of trouble.

This is the gist of Saint Francis of Assisi's Serenity Prayer: "Help me accept the things I cannot change, to change the things I can."

David's band grew to 600 men. Following God's command, they rescued village of Keilah from the Philistines. David asks God in prayer, "Will Saul come down?" God replied, "He will." Lord will these people I just rescued betray me to Saul? God answered, "Yes they will, leave town." So he is off again.

The psalms record many of David's prayers during his 10 years as a fugitive. "Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me," we read in Psalm 57, "for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster is passed."

The message for all of us is this: Like David, we often do did not understand why he we suffer. But like David we must realize that we need God in our lives and must pray to him for guidance.

David and his men left Keilah, the village they rescued, fled to the desert and then to a mountain. Saul followed. As he went up the mountain, David was fled down the the other side of it. Finally, Saul had David within reach.

It seemed over for David. But God rescued him. "A messenger came to Saul saying, Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land. Then Saul broke off the pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines." 1 Samuel 23:27-28).

And so David extolled God: "I sought the Lord and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look at him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame." (Psalm 34:4-5).

More than 1,000 years later, the apostle Paul would write, "Trust God with tomorrow. Today is not the rest of your life." (Romans 8:28).