If we eat rich foods, stay up late watching intense shows of catching fugitives, we later dream in vivid color, weird episodes of people in hot pursuit of us! We run but get nowhere.  We scream but nothing comes out. We plan for escape but are caught in traps set for us.  Okay, maybe that’s just me, but others had told me the same things happen in their dreams!

Our hearts, minds, and bodies are “intricately and wonderfully made” by our Creator.  (Psalm 139) It is up to us what we feed the inmost parts of our souls.  What goes in comes out.  So, it is important to consider our diets of inner being consumption for what we think affects how we talk then actively respond to people and circumstances of life. 

Now, consider what is going on at this phase of God’s story—

In our continuing saga of King Saul, whose days are numbered because he rejected God with disobedience, we read of his hot pursuit of young David who God has chosen to take his place.  King Saul knows the truth but is unwilling to face the truth.  His desire is to rid his world of David, the next in line as King of Israel, so his reign will remain intact.  He has the arrogance and audacity to ask God to help him for it has become his way of life to ask God to help him get what he wants!  King Saul feeds his soul on self with huge platefuls of ego daily. 

David, the one being pursued, still serves King Saul as a loyal soldier; but has been anointed by God through Samuel to be the next king.  In humbled limbo between soldier servant and future king; David inquires of God, asking for what God thinks he should do.  David’s habit is to ask God first before moving forward.

Who will God listen to and help? God knows both hearts and will respond to the heart committed to Him.

It might be good to pause and ask ourselves;

Are we asking God to help us get our way in a certain situation in our lives right now?  Or are we humbly asking God, knowing He knows our hearts and our situation; “not my will, Lord, but your will be done”?  Along with these words is the resolve to accept and walk in His will to be done with trust and obedience.  God knows what we need and knows what is best for us. 

1 Samuel 23

David Saves Keilah

When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” ² he inquired of the Lord, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”

The Lord answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”

³ But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”

⁴ Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah. ⁶ (Now Abiathar son of Ahimelek had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)

Saul Pursues David

⁷ Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has delivered him into my hands, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” ⁸ And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹ When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” ¹⁰ David said, “Lord, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. ¹¹ Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? Lord, God of Israel, tell your servant.”

And the Lord said, “He will.”

¹² Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?”

And the Lord said, “They will.”

¹³ So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.

¹⁴ David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

¹⁵ While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. ¹⁶ And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. ¹⁷ “Don’t be afraid,” he said. “My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this.” ¹⁸ The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

¹⁹ The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? ²⁰ Now, Your Majesty, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for giving him into your hands.”

²¹ Saul replied, “The Lord bless you for your concern for me. ²² Go and get more information. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. ²³ Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah.”

²⁴ So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah south of Jeshimon. ²⁵ Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

²⁶ Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, ²⁷ a messenger came to Saul, saying, “Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land.” ²⁸ Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth. ²⁹ And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.” (verse 14) There’s the answer!  God responds to hearts after His heart!

God works consistently and tirelessly to teach David the attributes and character of being a leader. Through trials and sufferings of being relentlessly being pursued, God is building David’s faith and resolve in Him. David is not perfect, but God is not asking for perfection.  God is after David’s pursuit of Him! 

Our response?  Our daily pursuit of God is exactly what God still wants from us!  Daily feed on His Word that nourishes our souls.  Listen to His Holy Spirit who lives deep inside us.  This holy gift of His Spirit to us upon repentance with complete redemption made possible by Jesus should not to be taken lightly!  THIS IS THE SECRET OF LIFE!  The Apostle Paul explains the secret in this way;

“I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church. God has given me the responsibility of serving his church by proclaiming his entire message to you. This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.  So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us.” Colossians 1:24-28, NLT

Respond with being filled with God/Jesus/Holy Spirit daily. Feed on His Word. Ask for His will to be done in our lives. Then go and tell others—Speak Jesus. Live in constant pursuit of Jesus, God in the flesh, sent to pursue lost humanity with God’s redeeming love that led Him to sacrifice Himself to remove our sins once and for all.  Yes, this is the secret to life abundant and free—the pursuit of Jesus!  As David would when filled with God’s Spirit, let’s sing praise with grateful hearts to our God right now! This is my current favorite—

“I Speak Jesus” by Charity Gayle and Steven Musso

I just want to speak the name of Jesus
Over every heart and every mind
‘Cause I know there is peace within Your presence
I speak Jesus

I just want to speak the name of Jesus
‘Til every dark addiction starts to break
Declaring there is hope and there is freedom
I speak Jesus

Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire

I just want to speak the name of Jesus
Over fear and all anxiety
To every soul held captive by depression
I speak Jesus

Your name is power
Your name is healing
Your name is life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire

Shout Jesus from the mountains, Jesus in the streets
Jesus in the darkness over every enemy
And Jesus for my family
I speak the holy name, Jesus

Shout Jesus from the mountains, Jesus in the streets, Jesus in the darkness over every enemy. Jesus for my family, I speak the holy name, Jesus

Shout Jesus for my family
Shout Jesus for our city
I speak the holy name, Jesus…

Thank you, Lord.In Jesus Name, By Your power living us