Be Brave in the Tragedy – Psalm 56: When the Philistines seized David in Gath.

In 1 Samuel 19, 20, & 21, we witness David ben Jesse losing the things most important to him: his wife, his best friend, and his high rank and respect in Saul’s army. And he makes one bad decision after another while trying to escape from King Saul. First, he flees from his home in Gibeah and takes refuge at the prophets’ camp in Naioth with Samuel, the man who anointed him (approximately) seven years earlier as Israel’s next king.

Okay, maybe not a bad decision because when Saul sends his assassins, God’s Spirit overwhelms them. They’re incapacitated by the urgency to prophesy, and the same thing happens when Saul himself comes to Naioth intending to kill David.

David’s next decision is to return to Gibeah—Saul’s hometown—where he says good-bye to his dearest friend, Jonathan, Saul’s son and crown prince. No doubt feeling very low, David next goes to the Tabernacle in Nob and asks the high priest, Ahimelech, for a weapon and something to eat. Ahimelech gives him Goliath’s sword and the holy bread from the altar table meant only for the priests. Hmmm.

Then a huge mistake. David leaves Israel, enters Philistine territory, and seeks refuge in the city of Gath—Goliath’s hometown. What?!

1 Samuel 21:11 tells us Gath’s King Achish and his soldiers recognize David immediately, remembering the song Israelite maidens used to sing about him: “Saul has slain his thousands but David his tens of thousands.” In Psalm 56:1-2, we learn just how discouraged and terrified David becomes while in the custody of Gath’s king and the warriors who held a grudge against Israel’s champion. He moans, “…man tramples me…enemies trample me all day long…many attack me.” Man—as in mankind. All day long. Many. Do you hear the overwhelming despair in his words, as if his whole world is crumbling?

• Has your life ever felt like a snowball rolling downhill, growing into a bigger and bigger disaster as it picked up speed?

How did David—how do we—stop the emotional downward spiral when everything in life seems to be falling apart? In Psalm 56:3-4 and8-11David gives us four bravery builders:

1. Trusting in God dispels fear (vs. 3-4, 10b).
2. Flesh (humans) can’t harm our inner connection with the Creator (vs. 4b, 10b).
3. GOD IS FOR US! He’s proven it before by the loving way He shows up to comfort us (vs. 8-9; 4).
4. Praising—or knowing—God’s Word helps us trust God even more.

• Which of these four bravery builders is something you can begin doing today? Choose just one and work on it today. Then choose another one to meditate on tomorrow—and another the next day.