30 June 2005 Devotion for Today " Losing Your Way" 1 Samuel 21:1-6
Samuel 21:1-6
1 "Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met
David, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one is with you?"
2So David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has ordered me on some business, and
said to me, "Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or
what I have commanded you.' And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.
3Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or
whatever can be found."
4And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread on hand; but there is
holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women."
5Then David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly, women have been kept from us
about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the
bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day."
6So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which
had been taken from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day
when it was taken away."
I just recently returned from the European Baptist Convention in Brussels, Belgium. We
had a great time fellowshipping with believers from all parts of Europe and one
church in the United Arab Emirates. There were several highlights which I will not go
into, but there were some moments of exasperation- not as part of the conference- but
in trying to get to the location of the convention and to my hotel. The traffic pattern
of Brussels was unlike any that I have yet known in Europe. From my hotel, I managed
to pick up our speaker and his wife, Dr. and Mrs. Nigel Wright of Spurgeon's College,
and take them to their hotel. This dear, patient and sweet couple helped me to find
the way to the hotel. Getting to the church was another matter. I found myself entirely
lost on several occasions. I was about an hour late for one meeting- and for another I
did not even bother to attend simply because I had lost my way. Towards the end of the
week, I managed to become more familiar with the road system.
Losing your way is a very frustrating experience- especially while driving many of
Europe's large cities. It is difficult to remember how I got off the direction I was
going- or to find my way back to it. It was also very embarrassing- here I had a very
important speaker in my car and I wonder if he must have thought we will never make it
to the speaking engagements on time. What kind of an idiot had the EBC sent out to pick
him up, anyway?
In reflection on that experience, how even more
subtle it is to lose one's way in the spiritual journey of life. David comes to mind
as I look at this chapter. While he is fleeing from King Saul, he finds it necessary
to lie in order to deceive Ahimelech about David's true intentions. Perhaps David did
this in order to protect the priest from certain harm should Saul discover what Ahimelech
had done. (Indeed Ahimelech is put to death, anyway). David tells the priest that he
and his men are on a secret mission from Saul- and that it was so hastily undertaken that
he didn't even have time to get his sword. Ahimelech gives David the weapon with which he
had beheaded the giant, and offers he and his men the showbread from the table of the
Lord for their nourishment.
One might argue that David was trying to preserve he and his men, and not tell the
priest everything in order to protect him. But was it right for David to do what he
did? Certainly David and his men were sustained for another day- but this act of
deception cost the priest and his whole family their lives. The priest perhaps should
have asked more questions- for the whole situation did not appear right before him based
on the questions that he did ask David. He also knew that it was not really "kosher" to
offer the showbread for them to eat. But out of his respect for David, and desiring
to meet a need- he did not inquire of the Lord whether it was best to do what he did,
and offered the holy showbread to David.
Many times we lose our way like this. It is when we compromise what we know to be right
and true thinking that a greater good will come of the situation. Its like taking a
short cut when we see ourselves about to get bogged down in heavy traffic on the freeway-
only wishing that we had stayed where we were because the short cut boggs us down even
worse. Our intention is to do good, but it causes everything to become a big mess. This
is what happened with David and Ahimelech. One deceit turns into a situation for which
neither man bargained. When Saul found out about it and inquired of Ahimelech the
situation, the priest was executed immediately.
What could we have done differently? It is one of those pinpoints on the map of life
that is unclear until we inquire of God. Realize that our act of deceit- no matter how
innocent or good the intention might be- will cost somebody something. We may not have
to pay the cost of it outright. But someone else will.
Do you find it difficult to keep from losing your way? Consult with your roadmap of life-
the Word of God, and ask Him for direction every day. Have a blessed day!
Samuel 21:1-6
1 "Now David came to Nob, to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid when he met
David, and said to him, "Why are you alone, and no one is with you?"
2So David said to Ahimelech the priest, "The king has ordered me on some business, and
said to me, "Do not let anyone know anything about the business on which I send you, or
what I have commanded you.' And I have directed my young men to such and such a place.
3Now therefore, what have you on hand? Give me five loaves of bread in my hand, or
whatever can be found."
4And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread on hand; but there is
holy bread, if the young men have at least kept themselves from women."
5Then David answered the priest, and said to him, "Truly, women have been kept from us
about three days since I came out. And the vessels of the young men are holy, and the
bread is in effect common, even though it was consecrated in the vessel this day."
6So the priest gave him holy bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread which
had been taken from before the LORD, in order to put hot bread in its place on the day
when it was taken away."
I just recently returned from the European Baptist Convention in Brussels, Belgium. We
had a great time fellowshipping with believers from all parts of Europe and one
church in the United Arab Emirates. There were several highlights which I will not go
into, but there were some moments of exasperation- not as part of the conference- but
in trying to get to the location of the convention and to my hotel. The traffic pattern
of Brussels was unlike any that I have yet known in Europe. From my hotel, I managed
to pick up our speaker and his wife, Dr. and Mrs. Nigel Wright of Spurgeon's College,
and take them to their hotel. This dear, patient and sweet couple helped me to find
the way to the hotel. Getting to the church was another matter. I found myself entirely
lost on several occasions. I was about an hour late for one meeting- and for another I
did not even bother to attend simply because I had lost my way. Towards the end of the
week, I managed to become more familiar with the road system.
Losing your way is a very frustrating experience- especially while driving many of
Europe's large cities. It is difficult to remember how I got off the direction I was
going- or to find my way back to it. It was also very embarrassing- here I had a very
important speaker in my car and I wonder if he must have thought we will never make it
to the speaking engagements on time. What kind of an idiot had the EBC sent out to pick
him up, anyway?
In reflection on that experience, how even more
subtle it is to lose one's way in the spiritual journey of life. David comes to mind
as I look at this chapter. While he is fleeing from King Saul, he finds it necessary
to lie in order to deceive Ahimelech about David's true intentions. Perhaps David did
this in order to protect the priest from certain harm should Saul discover what Ahimelech
had done. (Indeed Ahimelech is put to death, anyway). David tells the priest that he
and his men are on a secret mission from Saul- and that it was so hastily undertaken that
he didn't even have time to get his sword. Ahimelech gives David the weapon with which he
had beheaded the giant, and offers he and his men the showbread from the table of the
Lord for their nourishment.
One might argue that David was trying to preserve he and his men, and not tell the
priest everything in order to protect him. But was it right for David to do what he
did? Certainly David and his men were sustained for another day- but this act of
deception cost the priest and his whole family their lives. The priest perhaps should
have asked more questions- for the whole situation did not appear right before him based
on the questions that he did ask David. He also knew that it was not really "kosher" to
offer the showbread for them to eat. But out of his respect for David, and desiring
to meet a need- he did not inquire of the Lord whether it was best to do what he did,
and offered the holy showbread to David.
Many times we lose our way like this. It is when we compromise what we know to be right
and true thinking that a greater good will come of the situation. Its like taking a
short cut when we see ourselves about to get bogged down in heavy traffic on the freeway-
only wishing that we had stayed where we were because the short cut boggs us down even
worse. Our intention is to do good, but it causes everything to become a big mess. This
is what happened with David and Ahimelech. One deceit turns into a situation for which
neither man bargained. When Saul found out about it and inquired of Ahimelech the
situation, the priest was executed immediately.
What could we have done differently? It is one of those pinpoints on the map of life
that is unclear until we inquire of God. Realize that our act of deceit- no matter how
innocent or good the intention might be- will cost somebody something. We may not have
to pay the cost of it outright. But someone else will.
Do you find it difficult to keep from losing your way? Consult with your roadmap of life-
the Word of God, and ask Him for direction every day. Have a blessed day!
Jeff Russell
Devotion for Today
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net
salembaptistch@earthlink.net
Web address: http://25621.lifewaylink.com
Devotion for Today
Salem Baptist Church
Elizabeth City, NC
jefferyrussell@earthlink.net
salembaptistch@earthlink.net
Web address: http://25621.lifewaylink.com
No comments:
Post a Comment