1 Samuel 23:19-23 Praise God!

 ”Then the Ziphites came up to Saul at Gibeah and said, “Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hachilah south of Jeshimon? Now, O king, come down whenever your soul desires, and we will be responsible for delivering him into your hand.” “May you be blessed by the Lord,” replied Saul, “for you have had compassion on me. Please go and prepare further. Investigate and watch carefully where he goes and who has seen him there, for I am told that he is extremely cunning. Observe and find out all the places where he hides. Then come back to me with certainty, and I will go with you. If he is in the land, I will search him out among all the clans of Judah.”“ 1 Samuel‬ ‭23‬:‭19‬-‭23‬ ‭BSB‬‬

a. Our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand: For every faithful Jonathan, there were also Ziphites willing to betray. Many a godly man or woman has known both friends and betrayers, just as Jesus did.

b. Blessed are you of the Lord: Saul was so spiritually warped that he said to the betrayers of an innocent man, “Blessed are you of the Lord.”

c. I am told that he is very crafty: It wasn’t David’s craftiness that kept him from Saul’s clutches; it was the goodness and faithfulness of the Lord. Saul didn’t want to believe that, so he thought and said David’s protection was due to being very crafty.

d. At this time, David expressed his feelings to the Lord in song, and that song is Psalm 54. The title to that Psalm reads, A Contemplation of David when the Ziphites went and said to Saul, “Is David not hiding with us?”

i. In Psalm 54, David called out to the Lord for help: Save me, O God, by Your name, and vindicate me by Your strength (Psalm 54:1).

ii. In Psalm 54, David understood his enemies: For strangers have risen up against me, and oppressors have sought after my life; they have not set God before them (Psalm 54:3).

iii. In Psalm 54, David expressed his confidence in the Lord: Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is with those who uphold my life (Psalm 54:4).

iv. In Psalm 54, David let go of the bitterness and fear and praised the Lord instead: I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O Lord, for it is good (Psalm 54:6).

(Guzik)

v. “He is now looking at God. First he was looking at his enemies and these supposed friends of his, but now he sees them through God. If you begin with God, your enemies grow small. If you begin with the enemy, you may never reach God.” (Redpath)

Praise God!

“If you begin with God, your enemies grow small.”

In our human condition we tend to look at negative instead of looking through it to God and relying on Him for our strength. 

Look at David’s example in Psalm 54:

David expressed his feelings.

David called out to the Lord for help.

David understood his enemies.

David expressed his confidence in the Lord!

David let go of the bitterness and fear and praised the Lord!

Can you let David’s example be your blueprint for looking through your troubles and beginning with God?

Blessings