“David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.” 1 Samuel 21:12-13
What were the words that David took to heart? I guess they were the words of the song that was sung:
“But the servants of Achish said to him, "Isn't this David, the king of the land? Isn't he the one they sing about in their dances:" 'Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands'?" 1 Samuel 21:11
Apparently it wasn’t so much their words as it was what the words were revealing. David had just dealt with the ego of Saul. It was the same song that pushed him over the edge and made him so threatened by David. He feared the same could happen for Achish.
I don’t know if it was wise or cowardly for David to act insane. Either way it worked out for now.
The thing I’m reminded of today is in how we respond to situations or a perceived threat. One comes down to perception and the other comes down to reality. Unfortunately as humans, they are typically one and the same. There was obviously a concern that Achish could have been threatened by David and would responded harshly. He certainly could have quickly jumped into the chase after David’s life as well. Might have even been a good political move for him in the eyes of Saul. But would that be an appropriate response? Certainly not. David did not care for his throne. He was no threat. Yet the reaction would be very real and do much damage.
So here’s my strange connection. I’ve been working on how I “react” to things. It’s no surprise to those who know me well that I get pretty intense too easily. I like to call it “passion”, because it lessons my responsibility to deal with it (wink). But reality is it’s overreacting, maybe a lack of discipline, and probably exposes some areas of personal insecurity. Fortunately, no one has lost life because of it yet. And while it still rears it’s ugly head every now and then, I think I’m getting better at it. I’m glad 1 Samuel 21 is here today. Good stuff for me personally. I know there is other truth found throughout this chapter as well… and that God did not inspire these words to be written to deal with my personal issues, but that’s the thing God put on my heart today. Quite a journey, eh?
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Strange, I suffer from overreacting myself. I call it greener pasture condition. It has taken me a few years, closing in on 40, and a decade in education to come this profound thought. When I get roused or annoyed, if I take a big breath and let the clock run out until I go to sleep and just say, "God what do you want me to do?" when I wake up in the morning things don't look as bad as they did the day before. It has taken me several SEVERAL jobs within education and with a few dozen or so principals to figure this out. We always think the grass is greener in some other pasture. The thing is, it is not greener. It is just different grass. To stay calm and give it over to God and wait, truly WAIT on Him is what I wish I had learned earlier in life. But, I guess being on God's timetable and Him not on mine is a whole 'nother blog.
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