Our Fearfulness / God’s Faithfulness

And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands? And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me? Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?

I Samuel 21:10-15

A Psalm of David, when he changed his behaviour before Abimelech; who drove him away, and he departed. I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad. O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. They looked unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

Psalm 34:1-6

Two very different heart conditions of David regarding the same circumstance are revealed in these passages. I see myself in them. If you are honest with yourself, perhaps you will see yourself in them also.

Fear made David behave shamefully, but God delivered David when he cried unto him. David used this example to magnify God and cause others to magnify God and look unto him. They were also “lightened” and encouraged.

I have found that often, when I am witnessing or attempting to instruct someone, I need to be transparent (sometimes embarrassingly so) about my own failures and foolishness in order for them to see God’s faithfulness demonstrated in a real-life example. This turns the attention away from me and toward the Lord. It can help that person see that if I (“this poor man”) cried and God heard delivered me, then God can hear and deliver them when they cry to him.