Price Of Godliness (Self Exile)

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Monday April 3, 2017

Topic: Price Of Godliness (Self Exile)

Text: I Samuel 27:1 – 7

Some commentators interpret David’s action as lack of faith but I don’t belong to such group. Staying in Israel at that time with the level of threat from Saul would have amounted to tempting God or committing suicide. It was God’s leading because it wouldn’t have worked. Again, David went to the greatest enemies of Israel at that time and was welcomed. They would have killed David, a man that killed their champion Goliath but that was not to be as they befriended him and gave him a choice place to stay (see Prov. 16:7).

He fled from Israel to preserve his life. Saul as the king of Israel had authority over all the land and would have gotten David. The sin of David was his desire to live a godly life or else when he had the opportunity, he would have killed Saul and all his problems would have ended but he left everything in God’s hand. The choice of Ziklag by David was a smart one. Apparently he had won a large degree of trust from Achish one of the co-rulers of the five cities of Philistine. Being out of the king’s eye would free him from the risks of exposure as a double-dealer, or of jealousy on the part of Achish, or of becoming a burden on the king’s hospitality.

Jesus Christ told His disciples to flee from cities where they are not welcomed (Lk 10:10 – 12). What Jesus suggested here was right use of wisdom and discretion in time of crisis and uncertainties. We should be wise enough to understand when to stay and when to flee when our lives are being threatened by the enemies.

Food for Thought: If David had stayed put in the land of Israel, do you think he would have escaped from Saul’s desire to kill him?

Memory verse: 1 Samuel 27 verse 2

Prayer: When persecution arises due to godly living, grant me the grace O Lord to know when to flee and when to stay in Jesus name. Amen