“And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.”
~ 1 Samuel 23:16
Hi James and Ellen,
How many times in a day through scheduled prayer do you formally talk and listen to God? How many times in a day because of unforeseen difficult moments do you informally talk and listen to God? Do you think that God really minds you bugging Him with whatever whenever? Do you think that God really cares if you do not ever talk to and/or with Him? Do you think that God really hears what you say to Him? David informally talked with God. Samuel states in 1 Samuel 23 that David informally talked four times directly with God. David repeated two of the different inquiries that he wanted an answer from God. David’s first question that he wanted an answer from God was if should go with his 600 or so guys to save the guys, gals and kids who were living in the town of Keilah from a marauding band of Philistine people group guys. The town of Keilah was located about fifteen miles southwest of the city of Jerusalem. The town of Keilah was located in the land area that was allotted to the Judah tribal clan guys and gals. The town of Keilah was one of nine towns that were situated in the southern region of the land area that God had given to His specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals, to always to have to live in as their very own land if . . . when David heard that pillaging Philistine people group guys were looting the threshing floors that were being used by guys who lived in the town of Keilah, David wanted to know from God if he and his sundry gang of 600 or so guys should go to the town of Keilah and . . . when his troop of 600 or so guys hesitated in going with him to the town of Keilah, David again wanted to know from God if this was what He really wanted him to do. God told David again that He really did want him and his ragtag gang of 600 or so guys to do a number on Philistine people group interlopers. David – with the help of the motley rabble of 600 or so guys who had adopted or ascribed him to be their leader, was able to inflict heavy losses on Philistine people group guys. David and his diverse band of 600 or so guys were able to rescue from Philistine people group bad guys the guys, gals and kids who lived in the town of Keilah.
When David’s nemesis – who was Saul, heard how David had saved the guys, gals and kids who were living in the town of Keilah from Philistine people group guys, Saul thought that he had David trapped in the town of Keilah and that he would finally be able to . . . Saul was the Israelite people group’s guys and gals first positioned king to reign over them. Because of David’s popularity among the Israelite people group guys and gals, Saul had become insanely jealous of David. Saul really wanted David dead. The prophet Samuel had already anointed David to be the next king over God’s specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people group guys and gals. When the news reached David that Saul was heading for the town of Keilah, David asked God if the guys and gals who lived in the town of Keilah would turn him over to Saul. When God told David that the guys and gals who were living in the town of Keilah would turn him over to Saul, David again asked God if he had really heard Him right – that in spite of all that he had done for them that the guys and gals who lived in the town of Keilah would really turn him over to Saul. God told David that what he had heard the first time from Him was what was really going to take place – that he would be turned over to Saul by the guys and gals who lived in the town of Keilah if or when . . . David believed what God told him. David left the town of Keilah with his 600 or so hangers-on. David and his 600 or so tagalongs went from place to place in order to stay ahead of Saul. David and his guys ended up hiding in the strongholds and hills of the Desert of Ziph. When the Ziphite people group guys and gals – who were the people group guys and gals who lived in the Desert of Ziph, told Saul that David and his ragtag group of 600 or so guys were hiding, Saul and his guys began hunting for David and his disparate troop of 600 or so guys in an area south of the town of Jeshimon and near where the town of Horesh was located. Saul got as close to David as the other side of a mountain when . . .
Have you ever had God suddenly, divinely intervene during a distressing moment in your lives? Have you ever suddenly heard yourselves uncontrollably pleading to God for His miraculous help? Have you ever suddenly sensed God’s protective warmth during a hopeless predicament? What do you do when you find yourselves in a desperate moment, in an untenable situation and in a crisis? Is there anyone who you know who has an informal, interactive relationship with God? David had a very good friend. David’s friend was Jonathan. Jonathan was one of Saul’s kids. Jonathan was in a thorny bind. Jonathan knew that David was to be the next king to reign over the Israelite people group guys and gals. Jonathan refused to turn his back on his dad. When Jonathan secretly met up with David while his dad was doing all that he could do to find David – to kill David, verse 16 says, “And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God.” When your grandpaa was told by an OC Vice President that there was no place in OC for your grandpaa to have a ministry, your grandpaa called a friend to come over to where he and your grandpaa were living to . . . Steve came right over and helped to give your grandmaa and grandpaa the strength to trust in God to . . . (over 16 years have passed since your grandpaa first sent this missive to your dad to read to you. Your grandmaa and grandpaa received a postcard about three weeks ago from Steve in which Steve told them that he had been thinking of them – that he was hoping that they had forgiven OC for what OC did to them.)
1 Samuel 23 (837)