Today’s Victory is Tomorrow’s Salvation (1 Samuel #29)

The thought today is you’re going to need today’s victory tomorrow. I want to encourage you to go after that sin in your life, go after that temptation and deal with it forcefully. Put that sin in subjection to the LORD Jesus Christ. Because you’re going to need today’s victory tomorrow.

David seeks direction from LORD (vss 1-6)

  • …enquired of the LORD…
  • It’s not a convenient battle.
  • It seems to put everyone in danger to get locked into a city with walls.
  • But it’s God’s will. It will prove to be the wisest move David and his men will make.
  • When’s the last time you sought the LORD for clear direction, maybe inconvenient direction, but you looked to the LORD for light to guide your decision?

David’s success in God’s ministry is despised by the people he’s helped (vss 7-12)

  • Saul has already persecuted a city for David’s sake. The people of Keilah know Saul will slaughter them too if they don’t give David up, even though David has saved their lives.
  • Convictions and loyalty all go out the window with people’s lives at stake.
  • David gets further direction from the LORD (vss 9-12).

The LORD is unwilling to give David up to his enemy (vss 13-15)

  • Saul’s relentless pursuit continues daily.
  • But God is unwilling to give David up according to verse 14.

David is strengthened by a man who trusts God (vss 16-18)

  • Jonathan’s faith is once again lived out.
  • The LORD is able to use Jonathan to help David. Jonathan reminds David of God’s promise on his life in verse 17.

David is betrayed by his own people (vss 19-26)

  • These Ziphites are from the tribe of Judah just like David. But they flip on David like a pancake. They betray David.
  • David and his men are now in a place where they can’t get out.

David is saved because of the battle he was willing to fight (vss 27-29)

  • When David beat the Philistines at the beginning of this chapter he forced the Philistines to retreat and mount an attack in a different place on Israel’s border.
  • The LORD’s timing and direction is miraculous. As David and his men are surrounded and ready to be killed by Saul, an urgent message about the Philistines invading the country comes to Saul. He can’t ignore it. And the Philistines are not invading in any place where David is. Saul is forced to abandon his pursuit of David.
  • The thought today is you’re going to need today’s victory tomorrow. I want to encourage you to go after that sin in your life, go after that temptation and deal with it forcefully. Put that sin in subjection to the LORD Jesus Christ. Because you’re going to need today’s victory tomorrow.