July 25– 1 Samuel 27:8-12

July 25– 1 Samuel 27:8-12

⁸ Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. ⁹ And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. ¹⁰ When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” ¹¹ And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines. ¹² And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.”

I wonder at times how David felt later about the lies he told to stay safe.  Do you think God would have protected him had he not gone to the extent he did to stay alive?  He was the anointed one that would follow Saul as King.  We know God is capable of anything, but that’s easy for us to say as we are sitting here many generations later, centuries later.  Hindsight makes it easy to judge David.  I am not his judge, but I can learn from his life.  God never said it was okay to lie as long as you are desperate.  Or it’s okay to lie if your life depends on it.  He said in the Ten Commendments, “Thou shalt not lie.  That seems pretty clear to me, but thankfully I am not David’s judge.  I am not anyone’s judge.  What can you do today when you are tempted to lie to save face, or to keep peace, or maybe just to get ahead in life?  Thank God for forgiveness for those times you are weak. Thank Him for protection as well as His guidance.