On The Run But Not Alone | 1 Samuel 21

Are you lonely, like David, a "man on the run"?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

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This week, here in the Daily Devo, we are in 1 Samuel 21. I've titled this chapter "Man On The Run."

David will be on the run for a long time, approximately 12-15 years. In the last chapter, he ran to Naioth in Ramah to Samuel and then back to the rocks in Gibeah. In this chapter, he will run to Nob (the location of the Tabernacle) and then to Gath (the home of Goliath). There will be many more locations, 16 in all, that we will list in the coming chapters (i.e., the Cave of Adullam, the king of Moab at Mizpeh, "the stronghold" maybe Masada, the forest of Hereth, Keilah, the wilderness of Ziph, the wilderness of Maon, strongholds of Engedi, "the stronghold" maybe Masada again, the wilderness of Paran, and the finally back to Achish, the king of Gath.)

So, I will not give you a key verse for this chapter this week. (If I did, I would pick 1 Samuel 21:4.)

Instead, I will share a private excerpt from David's journal during this emotional time, which reveals a lot about what is going on in his mind.

But first, I want you to imagine how lonely David felt in these moments. He has been separated from his family and will never speak to his biological father ever again. His father-in-law (King Saul) wants to kill him and has given a charge to the Israelite army to hunt him down. His wife (Michal) and best friend (Jonathan) cannot communicate with him. He cannot take refuge in Samuel in the Naioth at Ramah. David is a fugitive, a man on the run. At the end of this chapter, David hides in Gath, which is in Philistia, the enemy of Israel, and acts like a madman here to preserve his life from King Saul. There could be no more lonely moment for David.

However, during this chapter, David made two journal entries, Psalms 34 and 56. And I want to read a portion of Psalm 34 for you today so you can see what David is thinking.

The title of this Psalm in your Bible might say:

"Of David, when he changed his behavior before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away."

The name "Abimelech" is a title like "President" or "King," and the man this refers to is named Achish, or "Abimelech Achish" who is the focus of 1 Samuel 21:10-15. Here is what he writes.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together! — Psalm 34:1-3

The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous
and his ears toward their cry.
The face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears
and delivers them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted
and saves the crushed in spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord delivers him out of them all.
He keeps all his bones;
not one of them is broken.
Affliction will slay the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. — Psalm 34:15-22

Even though David is alone and a man on the run, he knows he is never alone. And some of you need to hear this today. If God is with you, you are never alone. David preached, journaled, wrote, and sang this truth to his heart, mind, and soul. He put his hand to paper, his lip to song, his heart to prayer in those lonely moments in the enemy land, pretending to be a madman to stay alive as God's anointed, and God was with him.

In lonely moments, never forget that with God, you are never alone. Preach this truth to your soul. Sing about it. Read about it. Write about it. Believe it. God is a deliverer. He is near, not far.

And don't forget that during these years, God slowly built an army of hundreds of men around David who followed him from the Struggling Fugitive Years to the Soldiering Fighting Years.

#NeverAlone, #FaithInTheWilderness, #GodWithUs

Ask This:
When have you felt most alone, and how did you remind yourself of God's presence during that time?
Like David, how can you preach truth to your soul in moments of fear or loneliness? What practical steps can you take today?
Do This:
Preach to your soul, "I am not alone, God is with me."

Pray This:
Lord, in my moments of loneliness, help me to remember that You are always with me, even when I feel abandoned. Give me the strength to trust in Your presence and to find refuge in Your unfailing love. Amen.

Play This:
I Am Not Alone.