Pastor Wayne Cordeiro
February 17, 2002 - W0207

We remember King David as a great warrior, the slayer of Goliath, a sweet Psalmist, a nation builder, and a highly respected man of integrity. However, this legendary hero also went through difficult, lonely seasons in the desert. And in his loneliness, he didnít quite understand what was going on or what God was doing in his life. He got to the point where he felt like God had abandoned him. But God had never left him at all; rather, He had taken over Davidís life and protected him from a lifetime of sorrow.

ìIn the fear of the Lord there is strong confidence, that one may avoid the snares of deathî (Pr. 14:26).

In David, we see that three key areas in our lives when CONFIDENCE IS FOUND:

1.                  WHEN WE DONíT UNDERSTAND.

David was being hunted down by a jealous King Saul. He became so desperate and tired that he made a foolish decision to go to Philistine and live among the enemy.

ìThen David said to himself, ëNow I will perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me to escape into the land of the Philistines. Saul then will despair of searching for me anymore in all the territory of Israel. And I will escape from his hands. So David arose and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him to Achish the son of Maoch, King of Gathî (1 Sm. 28:1-2 Living Bible).

ìAbout that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. ëCome and help us fight,í King Achish said to David and his men. ëGood,í David agreed. ëYou will soon see what a help we can be to you.í ëIf you are, you shall be my personal bodyguard for life,í Achish told himî (1 Sm. 28:1-2).

David not only crossed over and lived with the enemy, he also joined forces with them! Seems unbelievable but it was a result of Davidís desperate loneliness. So he resorted to anyone who would accept him. Like David, we all face desperate times, but donít let desperation lead to foolish choices.

Question 1: Can you relate to Davidís desperation? Or his loneliness? Have you made similar choices that led down the wrong paths? Share about this time in your life and one result that came about.

We do not always understand Godís ways, but we have to know that they are trustworthy. Just as David prayed in the Psalms so do we get to pray these words: ìShow me your ways, oh God, teach me your paths.î Scripture says that ìGodís ways are so much higher than our waysî (Is. 55:9). If we understand the ways of God, and we know that they are higher than ours and completely trustworthy, it will give us confidence even in desperate circumstances.

Well, just as David was getting settled in and familiar with his former enemies (remember that he got his big break killing the most famous of all the Philistines: Goliath)Ö no sooner did he set up camp and begin preparing to fight with them when he receives another rejection notice. This time, even the Philistines told him to go home:

ìëWhat have I done to deserve this treatment?í David demanded. ëWhy canít I fight the enemies of my lord, the king?í But Achish insistedÖëNow get up early in the morning, and leave with your men as soon as it gets lightíî (1 Sm. 29:8-10).

David didnít understand why he wasnít allowed to battle against Israel. But God knew. God knew that the result would be an all-out massacre including the death and decapitation of King Saul and his three sons (including Jonathan, Davidís best friend). If David had been involved, he would have been accused of ulterior motivationsóaiming for Saulís throne all along and having the blood of the Lordís anointed (and his potential heirs) on his hands. David would have never been able to escape such an accusation if he had been battling for the Philistines.

Not only that, but David and his men would have lost their families at the same time. How? At the same time this battle was going on, the Amalekites attacked their home base and took their families as captives. Had David and his men been entrenched in battle, they would never have made it home in time to save their families.

Because David trusted God even when the circumstances seemed to be anything BUT beneficial, God was able to save him from terrible tragedies. You see, David had given God permission to take over his entire life. The lesson for you and I is that when we give our lives to Jesus, we give Him permission to take over. Salvation is giving God permission to do just that: Take over!

There will be times in our lives when circumstances, jobs, and friends will seem to turn against us and we will have a tendency to get mad at God. However, though we may not be able to make sense of what is happening in our lives, it makes complete sense to God. He is there protecting us every step of the way just as He did with David. Let our cry be: ìNo, donít take sides Lord, just take over!î

Question 2: When you donít understand what is happening, do you tend to bail out or let God take over?

ìFor the Lord will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from being caughtî (Pr. 3:26).

Hereís a word for our youth: There will be times in your life when God says no to you through your parents, counselors, youth pastors, and teachers. Donít fight that! They are there to guide you. Furthermore, God gives these people, especially your parents, an intuitive sense of inherent danger. And sometimes they donít even know why they are saying no to your request, but if you push and manage to get your way, you will circumvent Godís best for you.

ìChildren obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise; that it may go well with you and you may live long on this earthî (Eph. 6:1-3).

So the first place our confidence can be found in is when we donít understand. Even there God is in control. The second place we find our confidence is:

2.                  WHEN WE FEEL ALL ALONE.

ìDavid and the people who were with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to weepÖMoreover David was greatly distressed because the people spoke of stoning him, for all the people were embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his Godî (1 Sm. 30:4,6).

This was the first time in 16 months that David had cried out to the Lord. Sometimes the Lord leaves us alone and even removes people from our lives. Why? So that we may connect back to Him. What happens is we begin to realize that our strength and confidence does not come from the world or from people around us. It comes only from the Lord:

ìTherefore He humbled their heart with labor; they stumbled and there was none to help. Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble; He saved them out of their distressesî (Ps. 107:12-13, emphasis added).

Question 3: Recall a time when you felt alone. What did you do? What were the results of that choice?

I remember a time as a youth pastor when God called me to disciple some high school students. I was so excited for the miracles God would do through this bible study and I expected a large number to attend. When only seven showed up the first week, I was disappointed and encouraged the youth to bring lots of friends to the next session. Well, only three students showed up the next week; and finally, at the third meeting there was no one. Just me and Jesus! I was so embarrassed! I was angry with the kids and angry with God. I vowed in my heart that I wasnít going to do this anymore. But it was there in that solitary moment when I was all alone, that the Lord began to deal with me.

He revealed the wickedness of my heart, showing me that all I wanted was my ego to be fed by a big group. God reminded me that He asked me to be there out of obedience regardless of the results. I repented on the spot, ìGod, Youíre right!î It was then that my heart changed and I realized what it meant to be a servant of the Most High. But that would never have become real if the Lord hadnít weaned me off of people and left me alone. God was able to build a confidence in my relationship with Him not based on results but on obedience.

You may be in a desert season in your life right now and ready to defect. Maybe you feel your heart is just ready to drop out, but donít do it! God wants your heart to return to Him. Therefore, He shows us the third stage of building confidence:

3.                  WHEN WE DONíT KNOW WHAT TO DO.

ìAnd David inquired of the Lord, saying, ëShall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?í And He said to him, ëPursue, for you shall surely overtake them, and you shall surely rescue allíî (1 Sm. 30:9).

David was always known to inquire of the Lord, yet during the time that he defected to the Philistines, he stopped doing that. He failed to keep his eyes on the Lord. No wonder he felt like God was absent from his life! Then, 16 months later, he finally cried out to God. And it was in that instant that he realized that his confidence did not come from his own ability or the people in his life. His confidence could only come from the Lord.

Like David, we sometimes stop talking to God and He suddenly seems so far away. We say, ìI feel so far from the Lord! Why did God leave me?î But in reality, He didnít. Itís our hearts that have drifted from Him. Simply call on Him and He will answer. ìAnd you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heartî (Jer. 29:13). In the midst of praying, seeking, and waiting on God, our hearts return to Him.

Question 4: Have you ever felt like God was far away only to realize that it was you who were far from Him? Share what God revealed to you through that experience.

When his heart returned to God, David was able to rescue all of the people and he also became one of the greatest kings in history. But in order for that to happen, God had to first take David through an arduous journey through the lonely desert. Only then was God able to exchange Davidís soiled heart for the heart of a king. And like David, we have a choice: We can either drop out or seek God. Choose to seek God and you will notice a renewing process in your heart.

One of my favorite scriptures is: ìEven though young men stumble badly and lose strength, even though youths grow wearyÖthose who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faintî (Is. 40:29-31).

God is ready to give you the heart of a king. He did that with David; so much so that Davidís heart was known as one ìafter Godís own heart.î Seek Him and He will do the same with you. Will you let Him take over?

Question 5: How will you be changed by what you learned today?

Summarized by Rhonda Pang