Our Own Clouded Thinking

04.23.13

1 Samuel 27.1 1 Then David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand.” (ESV)

For sure David was depressed – and I think here in 1 Samuel 27 is the height of his depression: his move to Philistia. The problem was David began to believe his own press. Surely the trouble with Saul had escalated but David believed, sooner or later, Saul was going to get him. What about the anointing as the next king? What about the promises of God? What about the deliverance of God? David seems to have reached a point where he couldn't see those things because of what Saul did to him. And he could justify it as self-preservation.

I know people who believe their own press. The writer of this blog is one of them. Sometimes the situation is just so intimidating that it is hard to believe anything else. Maybe it was because it was risky that David moved his band of men to Philistia; the Philistines could have turned on them at any moment. Maybe for a guy like David it was easier to burn the candle at both ends: Saul on one side and the Philistines on the other. David’s depression closed his eyes to all other possibilities.

It happens to us – sometimes the situation takes on a life of its own and we fall prey to thoughts that are dictated to us by our own clouded thinking…believing them to be the only way out. Such is the danger of going it alone.

So what do you do? I don’t know. I can’t come up with a canned answer that works for everybody. One thing I did observe is: nowhere in this story is there any indication that David inquired of the Lord. Nowhere is there a Psalm David wrote when he was faced with this decision. So, maybe prayer and crying out to the Lord is part of the answer. It sounds to me like it is the ONLY option, but maybe there’s more to it than that. Maybe there’s just one question that needs to be answered: Lord, what do You think?

Over my lifetime I've become somewhat of a master at shooting from the hip – not carefully taking aim but just knee-jerking into the next decision. I can’t tell you the toll it has taken on me personally and on my family. But now in my later years, I have learned there is something about asking: Lord, what do You think? And then waiting for His answer.

Sometimes the situation just blows over and comes to nothing. Sometimes an apology is necessary and more than once, my humbling myself, is vital to the solution. But asking God, what do I do; what do You think – is incredibly important.

Whatever we’re facing today, let’s discipline ourselves to bring it before the Lord and seek His opinion first before knee-jerking into the next phase of the solution. Let’s ask for courage and remember what the Lord has already said before we let our own clouded thinking guide the way… Amen?