Don't Let An Enemy Drive You Away

''And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by

the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that
I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines;
and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any
coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.''
[1 Sam. 27:1]

Have you ever thought about the dire situations that can
put a believer to flight? The ways the enemy can rise up
in our lives: on our jobs, in our churches, in our homes...
and cause us even to consider retreating from our God-
given ''territories''?

I think many believers are conditioned to avoid confusion and
strife; this is a perfectly appropriate desire, for we are called
to be peace-makers. "If it be possible, as much as lieth in you,
live peaceably with all men." We should be willing to "take
down," come humble, even sustain loss (1 Cor. 6:7) for the
sake of peace.

But is it ever good to just run away from conflict? Should
we leave a place of employment solely because we face
anti-Christian bias from co-workers or bosses? Should we
abandon a church home because Judases arise in the
midst of the fellowship? Should we even separate from
acrimonious, unbelieving parents or spouses? Is retreat
a valid course of action to preserve peace?

David relinquished his ancestral homeland and his sacred
charge to protect Israel in order to escape the continual
persecution from Saul. He made a league (however much
of a sham it proved to be: consider 1 Sam. 27:8-12) with
his national enemies. He, in effect, let the Devil drive him
away.

I'm not intending to scold David too much. Such relentless
oppression as he faced clearly shook his confidence and
sapped his strength. At least according to the record, he
received no godly counsel that could have fortified him in
his persistence. And even as an erstwhile client of the
Philistine king, he did nothing to actually betray the Israelite
people. In this way, his compromise could be forgiven by
God, and he was still in position for ascension to the thrown
after Saul's death.

Nonetheless, this doesn't look like a high point in David's
life, by any means. Retreat is never good, unless it is
a divinely inspired strategy. Before you leave your job,
your congregation, or your home, it's better to know that
this is the will of the Lord, and not just something you're
doing in frustration and discouragement.

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