Bible Reflections From Scripture Union Volume OneSample

Giving God Control
Read 1 Samuel 23:1-29

David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands. 1 Samuel 23:14

When we give God control of our lives, will it be an easy life for us? Let’s see how it worked out for David when he allowed God to control his decisions.

David may have been eager to rescue the people of Keilah but his men certainly were not (vs 1-3). It was too dangerous! But twice God told David he must save Keilah from the Philistines, so he did (vs 5-6). Surely God would have then used the people of Keilah to protect David. But, to his horror, David discovered that they were more than happy to hand him over to Saul (vs 9-12). So it was back to being on the run for David (v 13).

Could David ever trust God again? He certainly could because God had always kept him out of Saul’s reach. And knowing how much David missed his beloved friend Jonathan, God arranged for one last visit where the loyal and courageous Jonathan reassured David of God’s presence with him and gave him the encouragement that he sorely needed (vs 16-18). Then in an exciting cliffhanger, like in the movies, God rescued David from Saul just in the nick of time (vs 26-28).

When we hand over the controls of our life to God, He does not always come through for us in the way we think He should. But He always does. This is what the Christians in China, who are being persecuted for their faith have known for a long time.

A good early morning ritual to keep every day is to ‘report for duty’ to God. Ask Him to give you His instructions for the day and tell Him to remind you if you get distracted. Giving the controls of our lives to God is the best and most exciting way to live.