Whenn Life Does Not Go as Planned
When Life Does not Go as Planned
1 Samuel 21-25
“Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.”
It must have been thrilling and exciting for David when Samuel came and anointed him to be the next king. In one day, David went from the prospect of a life lived in the fields with sheep to a life lived in a palace where a host of servants would respond to your every need. This future was confirmed when David was selected by Saul to become his servant (16:21-23). For David, his life was being blessed beyond his wildest imagination, and God seemed to be blessing him at every turn. However, just when it seemed as if life could not get any better, it suddenly turned dark and foreboding. When the people celebrated David’s victory over Goliath, the seed of jealously was planted in Saul’s heart, and he began to see David as a threat.
By the time we arrive at chapter 21 of 1 Samuel, the veiled envy of Saul towards David turned to deep resentment and hatred. So great was Saul’s jealousy that he became obsessed with destroying David. As a result, David was forced to flee into the wilderness, and he became an outlaw. Wanted by Saul, the only men who would surround David were those who were also rebels, outlaws, and vagabonds (22:2). David would enter into one of the darkest periods of his life. In Psalms 52, 57, and 142, we find the writings of David as he descended into the depths of despair. In Psalm 142, we see his despair, as he writes, “Look to the right and see; for there is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul.” Yet even in his despair, we see his faith in God; in both Psalm 42 and 57, David affirms that his trust is in God.
We often assume that when we are in the center of God’s plans, life will go well and we will enjoy prosperity and blessings. Life will come up roses. Yet, we often encounter difficulties and trials that are hard to reconcile with our view of a loving God. Proverbs 3:5-6 assures us that if we “trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding…he will make your paths straight.” Yet this is often not the case. Even though we trust in God and lean upon Him, we find our lives filled with hardship and struggle. Even though David fully trusted in God, he had to flee for his life and was forced to live in the wilderness and caves of southern Israel. Instead of a palace surrounded by servants, he was living on the run surrounded by a motley crew of thieves and outcasts.
While God promises us His presence and guidance, He does not promise us a life without problems and challenges. Before David could become a king, he had to go through the boot camp of adversity to learn to trust in God unconditionally. Often, before God can use us, we have to go through a time in the wilderness to surrender complete to God and to develop unconditional and unwavering faith in God. It is through the wilderness that we learn the nature of faith. As pointed out in Proverbs 3:5, before we can learn to trust in God’s plan, we must first learn not to trust in ourselves. Adversity strips us of our self-reliance so that we might recognize our need for God’s empowerment. If you are going through a time of difficulty that is testing your faith, do not despair. God has not abandoned you but is refining you so that He might do something even greater than you can imagine. Adversity does not mean that God has withdrawn his blessing. Adversity is often the doorway we must pass to experience God’s blessing.
1 Samuel 21-25
“Please let my father and my mother come and stay with you until I know what God will do for me.”
It must have been thrilling and exciting for David when Samuel came and anointed him to be the next king. In one day, David went from the prospect of a life lived in the fields with sheep to a life lived in a palace where a host of servants would respond to your every need. This future was confirmed when David was selected by Saul to become his servant (16:21-23). For David, his life was being blessed beyond his wildest imagination, and God seemed to be blessing him at every turn. However, just when it seemed as if life could not get any better, it suddenly turned dark and foreboding. When the people celebrated David’s victory over Goliath, the seed of jealously was planted in Saul’s heart, and he began to see David as a threat.
By the time we arrive at chapter 21 of 1 Samuel, the veiled envy of Saul towards David turned to deep resentment and hatred. So great was Saul’s jealousy that he became obsessed with destroying David. As a result, David was forced to flee into the wilderness, and he became an outlaw. Wanted by Saul, the only men who would surround David were those who were also rebels, outlaws, and vagabonds (22:2). David would enter into one of the darkest periods of his life. In Psalms 52, 57, and 142, we find the writings of David as he descended into the depths of despair. In Psalm 142, we see his despair, as he writes, “Look to the right and see; for there is no one who regards me; there is no escape for me; no one cares for my soul.” Yet even in his despair, we see his faith in God; in both Psalm 42 and 57, David affirms that his trust is in God.
We often assume that when we are in the center of God’s plans, life will go well and we will enjoy prosperity and blessings. Life will come up roses. Yet, we often encounter difficulties and trials that are hard to reconcile with our view of a loving God. Proverbs 3:5-6 assures us that if we “trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding…he will make your paths straight.” Yet this is often not the case. Even though we trust in God and lean upon Him, we find our lives filled with hardship and struggle. Even though David fully trusted in God, he had to flee for his life and was forced to live in the wilderness and caves of southern Israel. Instead of a palace surrounded by servants, he was living on the run surrounded by a motley crew of thieves and outcasts.
While God promises us His presence and guidance, He does not promise us a life without problems and challenges. Before David could become a king, he had to go through the boot camp of adversity to learn to trust in God unconditionally. Often, before God can use us, we have to go through a time in the wilderness to surrender complete to God and to develop unconditional and unwavering faith in God. It is through the wilderness that we learn the nature of faith. As pointed out in Proverbs 3:5, before we can learn to trust in God’s plan, we must first learn not to trust in ourselves. Adversity strips us of our self-reliance so that we might recognize our need for God’s empowerment. If you are going through a time of difficulty that is testing your faith, do not despair. God has not abandoned you but is refining you so that He might do something even greater than you can imagine. Adversity does not mean that God has withdrawn his blessing. Adversity is often the doorway we must pass to experience God’s blessing.
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