A P S A L M O F D A V I D , W H E N H E W A S I N T H E W I L D E R N E S S O F J U D A H .

“ O G O D , Y O U A R E M Y G O D ;

E A R N E S T LY I S E E K Y O U ;

M Y S O U L T H I R S T S F O R Y O U ;

M Y F L E S H F A I N T S F O R Y O U ,

A S I N A D R Y A N D W E A R Y L A N D

W H E R E T H E R E I S N O W A T E R .”

- P S A L M 6 3 : 1

Have you ever felt like your life stopped?

There was a day I felt l ike everything going on in my life came to a sudden halt.

The day was March 15, 2020. I was sitting in a small room in our church building by myself. We had just had three services in our auditorium where I had announced we were going to close the doors. The reason: coronavirus. I immediately experienced an unfamiliar sense of identity crisis. How can you be a pastor when the church can’t even meet?

Up until that day, I had a front row seat to see Jesus building his church. In our three services that weekend, we heard the testimonies of those who were baptized. I saw Jesus do a mighty work to save their souls and radically change their l ives. Jesus was drawing more souls to attend our services than ever before. The church was growing more interested in the Bible as we were reading and preaching through the Law and our eyes were being opened to see wondrous things. I had a better plan for the upcoming Easter season than ever as a new, young pastor. And suddenly all of that came to an end. Some people were saying we would be back in a couple of weeks, but somehow I knew we would be shut down for months.

It wasn’t just me that felt this way. You may have too. Work was suddenly over or remote for many. School was suddenly online at home. Entertainment and sports were cancelled. There were lines at the grocery store. The sickness was supposedly everywhere: on surfaces for days, in the air at great distances. You could have coronavirus and not even know it. You could give it to others and kil l them. Stay home. Wear a mask. Just stop.

I wonder if that’s how it felt for David?

As we read the book of 1st Samuel, David’s l ife is on the move. In chapter 16, David is anointed King of Israel by the prophet Samuel. In chapter 17, he kil ls the Philistine giant that all the earth would know there is a God in Israel. In chapter 18, he becomes covenant friends with the king’s son Jonathan, he is loved by the king’s daughter Michal, and even the entire nation is singing songs about him. He went from a nobody left out by his own family, to the somebody everyone In Israel is talking about. Instead of watching sheep in the field, he is now playing the lyre in the presence of the king himself.

And then, one day, a spear comes flying at his face.

“And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David…” -1 Samuel 19:1

As David’s reputation is rising, so is the jealousy of Saul. You see, Israel already has a king thank you very much. He doesn’t want David taking his top spot. He doesn’t even like David taking away any of his attention. And so he has come to this conclusion: David’s l ife needs to stop...

Here at the beginning of chapter 19, Saul has a “Kill David” meeting. From this moment on, David’s story does not continue in the same direction. Whatever sense of momentum God was moving seems to come to a sudden end. The fear of death can bring our l ives to a stand stil l . So how does a man after God’s own heart keep going when life stops?

Don’t. Stop. Reading.

D O N ’ T G O A LO N E1 SAMUEL 19-20

The good news: David is not alone. His new friend Jonathan establishes a covenant with him. His new wife Michal covers for him, l iterally, when men come to their house to kil l him. The prophet Samuel is spreading the gift of prophecy to everyone who comes to kil l David, including Saul himself.

When life stops, we stil l have relationships with others. God works through the people he puts in our l ife.

On March 15, 2020 there were two people God used in my life. One was my brother Bill . I can stil l remember when we were praying about hiring a second pastor at Compass HB. We interviewed some of the best future pastors in America. But they all had the same question: How much do I have to work? When we interviewed Bill he had a different question: Where can I serve?

When Bill came into the room I was sitting in, he was already hard at work. There was a crew constructing a new Scripture of the Day set in the now empty auditorium. Some people were bringing their cameras. Other people were bringing lights. Bill was building a studio. If the church couldn’t assemble in the building, we would sound forth the Word of God online!

To be honest, I gave Bill some bad attitude when he came into that room. I did not appreciate him interrupting my life has stopped pity party. It all seemed so overwhelming that it was hard to think about taking the next step of obedience. It seemed easier to sit there and do nothing. Sometimes we can have a bad habit of resisting those who God sends to lift us up.

The covenant friendship between Jonathan and David is worth paying close attention to. It begins after David kil ls Goliath in 1 Samuel 18:1-4 . It is reaffirmed here in 1 Samuel 20:12-17 . This covenant is to be loyal to one another and even to each other’s families. It is to show one another the steadfast love of the Lord in a human relationship. If I decrease, that is okay, as long as you increase. I am for you, even more than myself.

Jonathan literally got in the way of his father’s spear for his friend David. He was ready to give David his spot as the prince of Israel. He was fine with David being the next king, even though Saul said it should have been him. If you want to have friends like this, you should start by being one yourself. You can have many friends in l ife and stil l fall , but there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24) . Be a friend to the end.

For me, one of those friends who sticks closer than a brother is my actual brother Bill . Thanks to the Lord working through Bill March 15, 2020 was not the day life stopped. It was the day Scripture of the Day Strikes Back.

A second person who encouraged me was my daughter Emma. As we were at the church late that night editing the Scripture of the Day video, my family came to bring us dinner. My daughter Emma wrote me a note on an orange post-it. When I read it, two words seemed to leap off the paper and gave a surge of energy to my soul: Keep going.

Who are the people God has used to help you through this trial of the coronavirus?

Take some time to thank God for them. Take some time to thank them too. Where would you be without them?

D O N ’ T FO RG E T YO U R T H E M E S O N G1 SAMUEL 21

As you read the story of David, you need to remember there is more going on than meets the eye. Remember the theme from 1 Samuel 16:7 while we look on other people’s external appearance, God is searching our souls. We need to get to the heart of this chapter.

I have been so encouraged by many of you who are reading the Scripture of the Day as part of our Compass HB family. You are paying closer attention. You are digging for treasure in the details. Don’t. Stop. Reading.

When we read 1 Samuel 16 & 17 , I received two different emails asking me the same chronology question. Later I learned of others at our church, who were talking about it too. How did Saul know who David was when he played the lyre for him and refreshed his soul in 1 Samuel 16:17-23 but then not seem to know who David was after he kil led Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:55-58? Is it possible these chapters are out of chronological order? I was so inspired by people asking this insightful question that we spent a staff meeting diving deeper into it!

In 1 Samuel 17:55-56 there is a flashback to a conversation Saul had with Abner during the battle with Goliath. Did Saul forget who David was? Pastor Bill , pointed out he actually asks who David’s father is and not who David is. Pastor Dan said maybe this question was to publicly acknowledge David’s father to fulfi l l the reward of making his father’s house free as promised in 1 Samuel 17:25 . David and his family would now rise to a level of prominence among God’s people that made Saul so jealous he wanted to kil l David.

“And David rose and fled that day from Saul…” -1 Samuel 21:10

As David is fleeing for his l ife, there is more going on here than just the need for bread and weapons from Ahimelech. There is more than just running away from Saul into the danger of the Philistine king Achish. (Note: David got the fallen giant’s sword and then went to Goliath’s old hometown for safety? Probably not the best plan!) A way for us to get a glimpse into David’s heart is to read the songs he is writing during this time:

Read Psalm 34. If you notice the description it was written during the time of this chapter. (Remember “Abimelech” means my father is king and is often a title rather than the actual name of the person. Achish is the king referenced here.) When you read Psalm 34 would you even know David is fleeing for his l ife? What can you learn from this about letting your relationship with God determine your attitude rather than your circumstances?

Another important cross reference is when Jesus refers to David getting the bread of the presence in the Gospels. Jesus talks about this chapter in all three of the synoptic gospels: Matthew 12:3-4, Mark 2:25-26, and Luke 6:3-4 . What is the point Jesus is making by referring to 1 Samuel 21 here? Keep digging until you find the treasure! Send me an email! Strike up a conversation! There is revival in that Bible of yours!

E V I L WO N ’ T W I N1 SAMUEL 22

“Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, ‘I saw the son of Jesse…’” -1 Samuel 22:9

This chapter details the brutal execution of the priests and the people of Nob by Doeg the Edomite. Saul is not just trying to kil l David now. He is ordering the murder of anyone who helps him. At this point in the story, it seems like all of the power is on the dark side. How can David and his merry band of wilderness outcasts defeat evil King Saul and the entire army of Israel?

Seeing the evil of it all has been hard for many of us during this coronavirus crisis. There was the injustice of how George Floyd was kil led by a police officer that led many to feel the need to protest. There was the injustice of the rioting and looting that led to rampant lawlessness in our streets. Evil is right there on the news stirring up division and hate in the hearts of America. What can we do when we see such evil?

This is where we can learn from the example of David. David encountered evil in a very real and personal way. David fought men hand-to-hand who were physically trying to kil l him. David was wanted by a government gone evil and had to flee for his l ife when he had done nothing wrong. When David was overwhelmed with the evil of this l ife, he did not look for justice in other people. He poured out his heart to the Lord.

Read Psalm 59. This psalm was written when Saul first sent men to kil l David in his house. What line leaps off the page the most from this psalm?

Read Psalm 52 . This psalm was written in response to Doeg the Edomite personally. What stands out to you in reading this psalm?

The thing we need to learn from David writing these psalms is how he casts his cares about the evil here on earth to our Father in heaven. These psalms are prayers! David believes that God can actually do something about the evil in the world! He is asking God to act!

Evil won’t win when life stops. Jesus wins! What are the evils that seem to have power in your world today and how can you pray about them? I am concerned that so many people today don’t pray. No wonder they feel powerless! If they do pray, it is going through the motions rather than lingering in the secret place with God until our heart is completely poured out to him. Write out a prayer that casts up your cares for the evil during this coronavirus crisis to the Lord!

D O N ’ T S TO P P R AY I N G1 SAMUEL 23

“Therefore David inquired of the Lord…” -1 Samuel 23:2

“Then David inquired of the Lord again…” -1 Samuel 23:4

“Then David said, ‘O LORD, the God of Israel …’” -1 Samuel 23:10

“Then David said, ‘Will the men…’” -1 Samuel 23:12

Four different verses in this chapter, give us an example of David asking the Lord for wisdom. I know this is one of the main things I need from God, especially during this time of coronavirus.

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” -James 1:5

What do you need to ask God for wisdom about today?

“Behold, God is my helper; the LORD is the upholder of my life.” -Psalm 54:4

Read Psalm 54. David wrote this psalm during the events of 1 Samuel 23, when the Ziphites told Saul where he was. Saul and his army are on one side of the mountain. David and his men are fleeing on the other. David narrowly gets away at the Rock of Escape.

Even though we are going through a trial testing our faith in the narrow way of Jesus, what are some of the ways God has delivered you during this time? Make a list and give God thanks for each one!

During the 13 weeks our church was not assembling, there were some at our church who were upset. They wanted our church to open! I can’t blame them. I felt the same way. But God taught me something in the midst of my frustration.

I was asking questions like, “How will people hear the word of God if we can’t assemble? How will we welcome new families to the church and give them the gospel? How will the brothers and sisters encourage one another when we can’t gather together?”

Yet, the amazing thing is I saw God do all of these things without our church even meeting. I saw people get stirred up by the Word of God sounding forth online. I had Zoom meetings with new people to the church. I had people in my fellowship group say they had never grown as much in their love for the Lord and each other as during coronavirus! Behold, God is our helper, the upholder of our l ives. God doesn’t need me or our church to do anything. He just does it. That’s who he is. I knew this before but I saw it during coronavirus. The power of God is truly unstoppable.

H I S G LO RY I S T H E S TO RY, N OT YO U1 SAMUEL 24

Engedi! Engedi is an oasis in the middle of the dry and weary land where there is no water. It is a stream flowing in the desert. It is a rock of shelter in the vast wilderness of l ife. It is a cave where you can find refuge from the enemy. Once you go to Engedi, the psalms of David make so much more sense. He wasn’t using poetic imagery, he was literally describing the place where he was hiding in the safety of the Lord’s presence.

Last summer on our trip to Israel, we hiked Engedi! You have to drive out into the middle of the wilderness where the only other body of water is known as the Dead Sea. There is a l ittle canyon with a stream flowing down from a waterfall at the top. It is l ike a smaller version of hiking Zion on the cover of this booklet. Maybe you should come hike with us when we go back to Israel for King David’s Singalong Tour in the Summer of 2021! (Lord will ing!)

The truth is you will never find the oasis if you don’t go through the desert.

The beauty of suffering is found in the pain of trials.

It is hiding here in Engedi, where David wrote two of my favorite psalms:

Read Psalm 57.

Read Psalm 63.

How do these psalms compare with how you have been thinking during this coronavirus crisis?

David is more concerned with God getting the glory than his own life story. This is why when he has an opportunity to sneak up on his own mortal enemy, he does not take his l ife, just a piece of robe. David sees Saul’s l ife as from God. He sees him as the Lord’s anointed king. When God wants to remove his enemy, God will do it. David doesn’t need to. Saul’s l ife is not in the hands of David, but in the hands of God.

This is an example of what it looks like to not return evil for evil , but to trust in the Lord to bring justice instead. I am amazed that at the end of this chapter, Saul l iterally goes home. He came to kil l David. But David won the battle with his kindness. When someone hates us, but we respond to them in love, it can be the most disarming thing in the world. A gentle answer turns away wrath.

Is there a situation of justice you are trying to take into your own hands? If so, take a moment to pray and give it up to God.

We are not out of the coronavirus crisis yet. Our church has begun meeting again, but we are outside in the parking lot. Only a few have been able to gather together again so far. Will the church reassemble? Will there be the revival we are praying for?

Do you see how if we are concerned for ourselves it feels l ike a heavy burden? But if we are concerned for the glory of God the comeback is inevitable? David was able to believe the battle belonged to the Lord not just when he was stoning giants, but when he was hiding in a cave. Either way, we know the story ends when God gets the glory! Life may stop, but the glory of God is over all the earth!

P S A L M S DAV I D W R OT ED U R I N G T H E S E C H A P T E R S

1 Samuel 19-20 ~ Psalm 59

1 Samuel 21 ~ Psalm 34

1 Samuel 12 ~ Psalm 52

1 Samuel 23 ~ Psalm 54

1 Samuel 24 ~ Psalm 57 & 63