Abounding Grace

Guest (Male): Pastor Ed says, when times are rough, just wait on the Lord.

Pastor Ed Taylor: You're faced with adversaries, false witnesses, slanderers, gossip, whatever it might be, people breathing out violence, causing you to lose heart. And if it wasn't for your faith in God, it wasn't your faith of coming goodness, you would have lost heart. And what did you learn? You learned to wait on the Lord. You learned to be of good courage, strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord.

Guest (Male): Yes, we've all had terrible things happen to us, and some from the hands of another. In such instances, it is easy for us to want to take matters into our own hands and retaliate. We'll be encouraged to wait on the Lord and leave it in his hands. That's the encouragement ahead of us today on Abounding Grace. David is currently on the run from Saul. Now, imagine having 3,000 hunters determined to find and kill you. David and his 600 men are facing that terror, but all of a sudden, the tables turn, and opportunity presents itself for David to kill Saul.

So, let's see how this plays out and what we can take away from this. Here is Ed Taylor.

Pastor Ed Taylor: Chapter 24 1 Samuel chapter 24. As we open up to this new chapter, it's very important that we remember the sovereign power and purpose of God on David's life. From our human perspective following David, what we see is wrong. It's very easy to make that conclusion. What we see happening to David is unfair. What what we see happening to David from King Saul is downright satanic in Saul's treatment of David. And all of this, on top of that, to a man of God that has the anointing of God upon him. And yet, listen, David's future would not be determined by what he could see, feel, or think.

Let me bring that home a little bit personal. Your future will not be determined by what you see, feel, or think. Because in David's life, it would not be Saul who controlled. No God would give to David his future. Why? Well, what's it was because of the specific promise of God that David held on to so very tightly that the enemies would not succeed no matter what things look like. Remember back in verse 14 of chapter 23, you might have marked it when we looked at it last time. It says David stayed in the strongholds.

This is chapter 23 verse 14. He stayed in the strongholds in the wilderness, remained in the mountains in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day. But God did not deliver him into his hand. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. In Psalm 119 verse 89, it says, forever, oh Lord, your word stands firm in heaven. In the New King James, it speaks of God's word being settled in heaven. In Psalm 89 verse 2, I'm reading from the New Living Translation. It says, your unfailing love will last forever.

Your faithfulness is as enduring as the heavens. What truths we look forward to were finding in David, he's living them out. This is what it looks like. This is how it's manifested in our lives. For David, it was Saul seeking him every day and God revealing to David every day that he will not be delivered into his hand. That is how he saw the promises of God revealed. When things outside of our control look bad and feel bad and seem bad, we must hold on to the promises of God. It's imperative. Again, reading from the New Living Translation, Hebrews chapter 6 verse 18, it says, so God has given us both his promise and his oath.

These two things are unchangeable because it's impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can take new courage for we can hold on to his promises with confidence. And this confidence is like a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain of heaven into God's inner sanctuary. It's important that you hide God's word into your heart game, that you put it into your heart God's promises, carrying them around as the very precious promises of God, holding on to them like the anchor of your soul.

That you can hold on to and remember in times of trial and difficulty. They'll encourage you, the word of God. They'll strengthen you. They'll remind you of God's overriding purposes for your life and in your life when things get tough. You can hold on to them and run to them like in David's life the rocky Zell. Or as we learn the rock of escape where we see David crying out, hear me, oh God. Attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth, I will cry to you. Don't forget that as we get to verse 1 of chapter 24, the sovereignty and the power of God in David's life.

Now, it happened when Saul had returned from following the Philistines that it was told to him, take note, David is in the wilderness of En Gedi. Then Saul took 3,000 chosen men from all Israel and went to seek David and his men on the rocks of the wild goats. So, he came to the sheepfolds by the road where there was a cave and David went in to attend to his needs. And David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave. The ratio now between King Saul and his men and David and his men are 5 to 1, 3,000 to just 600.

And Saul's taking no enemies, but set to destroy David and his men. And you can't miss the laughable position that we find Saul in these first few verses. Saul had chosen 3,000 out of all of Israel to hunt down the one whom God had chosen. So, you have that contrast again. It's a fascinating study as you contrast Saul with David and you contrast King Saul's will with God's will. But you here you have King Saul choosing. He has the choices 3,000 men to hunt down the one that God had chosen. Who do you think's going to win?

Who do you think's going to prevail? Yet, in verse 3, Saul, with all his wisdom, all his power, all his people, all his might, all his money, all his weapons, everything that he has, outgunning, outmanning David. In verse 3, what does he end up in the same exact cave as David? The same place. And here he is attending to his needs. He went in to go to the bathroom. That's what he did into a cave. Of all the caves that he could have gone into, of every single nook and cranny where he could have chosen to relieve himself, Saul in his choosing chose the very cave where David and his men were out in the recesses.

Imagine the scene. No doubt a tense moment of silence and uncertainty. David and his 600 men, and they wouldn't even be able Can you imagine 600 people going shh. Not even none of that. This was This was well-trained men. These were well-trained men knowing in the wisdom not even to make a noise. It was probably so quiet in there that you could have heard a pebble drop. As these men wait in uncertainty and there's King Saul relieving himself. You have a group of men protected by God and King Saul in a very literal way exposed.

Right there in the same cave of all the places. Then the men of David said to him, and you wonder how this is all going down. Maybe it's a very large cave and they're in a recessed area. It says, this is the day of which the Lord said to you, behold, I will deliver your enemy into your hand that you may do to him as it seems good to you. Now, the men of men that were with David see an opportunity. And I have to say that you and I probably see the same opportunity. I mean, if we're just looking at it with human eyes, if we're just looking at it to get out of the trial, if we're just looking at it to end this nonsense, I mean, come on David, this is from the Lord.

You guys see how you can see this on a different perspective when every cave in the every cave in the whole desert, Saul's right here. This is from the Lord. I learned something here if you're taking notes. Not everyone's counsel is right counsel. Even your closest, most trusted associates, those that you've hung out with and you have fought the battles together where you've survived and went through the not everyone, not every human piece of counsel is from the Lord. Listen, I'm not done yet, so don't finish writing because not every piece of counsel is from the Lord even though it might make human sense.

I mean, how about how would you feel? Just put yourself in the sandals of those that were with David. You've pledged your allegiance to David. Not in an healthy way, not above God. You've just thrown your lot in with him. You desired to go with him. You'll fight whatever battle he fights. You will live with him. You will die with him. You are yoked together David. You know, you started out as in debt or discouraged, defeated. God has drawn you to David. David takes you in. You've cast your lot in with this man. And and he's a worthy leader and a man to be followed, a man to support.

And you've been on the run with him. This madman that's out of his mind has chased you everywhere, throwing spears at you, plotted to get you, wants to kill you, makes it very clear. I think if I was with David, I understand the counsel. It's It's enough. God, we've been praying for this. Deliver us. Deliver us. Rescue us, God. Help us. We read the Psalm at the end of the chapter last week. That's the heart of David. Deliver me. I mean, you're there. King Saul's there. You can take him out. You don't need to go through 6,000 because God has just divided him from his 599 5,999.

I mean, he's right there in a very vulnerable position not expecting anything to happen. Thinks he's alone. The counsel sounds right. And notice verse 4. David arose in secretly cut off a corner of Saul 's robe. And now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe. David's in a different place than those that were giving him counsel. David is in a place that is closer to the heart of God, with an ear in tune to the heart of God and his conscience is sensitive to the things of God at this point in his life.

And although he didn't kill King Saul, he cut secretly cut a portion of his robe off and it didn't happen very long afterward that his heart was troubled. He's very sensitive to this and he told his men, the Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him seeing he is the anointed of the Lord. So, David restrained his servants with these words and did not allow them to rise up against Saul and Saul got up from the cave and went on his way. David also arose afterward, went out of the cave, called out to Saul saying, my lord the king.

And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped through his face to the earth and bowed down. This is the time David, do it. Take Saul out. And those with David believed this was God's opportunity for the finality of freedom that we can understand with them. Because after all, even in our own study here in 1 Samuel, God has already publicly declared David to be Saul has already publicly declared David to be his enemy to declare war on him. But instead of taking him out, he decided to simply cut a portion of his robe off. And David does that.

And this was a significant thing now, not just some little portion portion, not just some little section of his clothing. This had significant meaning biblically. Because you'll recall back in Numbers chapter 15 that God commanded Moses to tell the people to make the borders of their hems blue. As blue being the color of heaven. And not only was were they heaven bound, but they also had given commandments of God so they tied to the fringes of the of their blue hems 613 knots, one for each of the commandment. The The hem of the garment was a reminder not only of their being heaven bound, but also that they were the covenant people of God.

But for the king to wear such for the king to wear such a hem in cutting the fringe of King Saul's garment, David was actually saying that Saul's power and position and authority belonged to him. And he was taking that from him. Symbolically, David was laying claim to the kingdom of God. And imagine for a moment the kind of stealth that was necessary within the cave, not only for them to have their conversations, but for David to get up on this person very close who is relieving himself to come in close and cut off so quickly his garment.

He realizes how close he was to to I think in as he stealthily comes up. I think verse 5 to me is David realizes at this moment. Now, again, David is up and down in his walk with the Lord, very clear. He has great successes and great failures, but here there's a great success in verse 5 with his heart troubling him. Let me put some words to that for us. I believe David is recognizing here in the sensitivity of his heart just how close he was to taking things into his own hands. Just how close he was in his wavering, not necessarily an act of bravery as much as it was an act of hesitancy and lacking faith in the providence of God and he doesn't follow through.

David understood that the that the kingdom, which would certainly be his one days, was not his for the taking. That God had anointed him as king, but had not declared the timing. Isn't that often what happens with the promise of God? I'm reminded of Habakkuk that was given a tremendous vision, but he was to write down the vision so when the people read it, they would run because the vision was for what the Bible says, an appointed time. And it's much the same in David's life. It was for an appointed time. Even though he has these opportunities, this one very real to take things into his own hands and create his own timing.

The kingdom See, for David and for us, the kingdom could only come to him as a gift of God. He could not take it upon himself. It was not his for the taking. It was his for the waiting. How many times have you found that to be true in your life? That something appears that it's yours for the taking, but in reality God's saying it's yours for the waiting. Waiting. How many of you love to wait on the Lord? We'd like to hear your testimony right now. It will encourage most of us that hate waiting on the Lord where God is spoken clearly and given us a promise to hold on to or a series of promises.

Where everything then the appearance to the eye looks I don't know how God is going to fulfill this promise. And everything that feels to the heart where I don't understand there's no I don't even feel like God is going. I see what I see and I don't see it and I feel what I feel and I don't feel it. And the circumstances they don't seem to be lining up, but I know what God said. I know what he means in his word and his word has been to wait, to wait, to wait. Except that in waiting there's often the temptation to take things into our own hands and instead of it being there for our waiting, we end up trying to take it by force and what a failure and mistake that is.

There will even be those around you well-meaning and loving good close friends that will come alongside you and say, you need to move now. You need to move now and it may be a vulnerable time in your life where you're like, you know, I'm feeling like I need to move now too and all you need was one person to prod you, but the Lord has not spoken. He is not given direction. He hasn't led you to do that. And how careful we need to be. Listen to this in Isaiah. Why don't you turn over to this passage?

You can mark it in Isaiah chapter 28 with me. Isaiah's to the right from 1 Samuel there. Isaiah 28. How careful we need to be. So many things in the life of faith are not there for the taking. They're there for the waiting. There are many things to take, you know, many things the Lord leads us to take, but some things God he says, you know, because here here you are. David has the anointing of God upon him, but so does King Saul. David has the kingship awaiting him, but King Saul has it in his possession.

This is a hard one where you're like, man, David, you're the next king. The The counsel seems so right. But notice with me verse 16. Isaiah 28 verse 16 where it says, therefore, thus says the Lord God, behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation. Whoever believes will mark these words, not act hastily. Whoever believes will not act hastily. One of the hardest things for us to do is to wait. Can I get an amen or is that just Are Are we still together? We all in the same room.

I can hear people amening from the radio louder than this. Some of the hardest things for us to do is to wait, to wait, to wait. It's hard to wait when it's quiet. And it's hard to wait when it looks as if God has given my enemy into my hands. It's hard to wait when it looks hopeless. And you just find that, you know what? I can't wait anymore. I'm done. It's hard to wait when it appears that some progress can be made by any action that you take. It's hard to wait when it 's not fair.

It's hard to wait when it's wrong. I mean, I can think of a thousand things you can if we put little pieces of paper game to you with the door and I said, tell me something that's hard to wait, we would get, you know, hundreds and hundreds of responses of when it's hard to wait in an area in your life where God has not called you to a place right now that yours for the taking. No, God has called you to a place where it's theirs for the waiting. Why was Saul Let's ask Let's go back just to the text here.

Why did Saul go into the cave? What does the Bible say? That makes sense to relieve himself. But I suggest to you that wasn't the only reason. I believe he not only went in See, you know how often we've mentioned this before that God will so often work supernaturally very natural ways. He had to go to the bathroom. That's the natural part. There's a cave. He goes in. Now, God's going to work supernaturally. Very very very natural response from King Saul. Now, God's going to work supernaturally. I believe not only did he go into the cave to use the restroom, but he also went into the cave for a test.

A test for David. This was a test in David's life. And you know, God will often test us with what seems to be a blessing that is ours for the taking, nicely wrapped up and ready. But unless we wait on and wait for God operating in his will and his leading by his spirit, what we perceive to be a blessing will turn out to be a disaster. It will not be used by the Lord, not the way we thought it would be. God will work all things together for the good, but it won't happen the way we thought.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Abounding Grace and a message from Pastor Ed Taylor called It's yours if you'll wait for it. Hear it again at aboundinggraceradio.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Another way to take in a steady dose of God's word is through our app. It's free. Just search for Calvary Church. We're also on oneplace.com. Pastor Ed, here at the close of our programs, we regularly invite listeners to support this ministry, but we don't want to fail to thank those who already have. What would you like to say to our faithful supporters?

Pastor Ed Taylor: I'd like to tell everyone that supports Abounding Grace financially, through prayer, just passing on a message, you know, forwarding it, posting it is thank you. Thank you. Thank you. If you would have asked me 25 26 years ago when we started Abounding Grace Radio, I don't remember exactly how many years, but if you would have asked me way back then uh that the ministry would be what it is today, I wouldn't have believed it. Uh we just started on this little station here in Denver AM late at night I'm just hoping that God might somehow use the teaching of his word through the ministry here to reach others and it's become so much more than that AM station.

And I just want to thank you because you're a part of it all. Anyone that's ever given, anyone that's ever prayed, you are a part of the fruit of this ministry. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. And if you haven't given or you haven't prayed for us, would you please do that? We need the resources for sure and we absolutely need the prayers and the partners. So join us. God's got great things. And I know that God he doesn't Not Not everyone is reached through the teaching of Abounding Grace, but some are and amazingly so lives and families are changed.

So thank you. Thank you. Thank you. That's the best that I could say. I so love and appreciate you for your prayers and support of Abounding Grace. And by the way, even if you don't support us through prayer and finance, I count it an honor. And I thank you for listening to the teaching of God's word so that you can grow. Because I realize not any not many of you you might forget about us get a long prayer list or resources are low right now. Okay? That's okay. Thank you for listening and thank you for receiving the word of God that you might grow.

It's amazing that we get to follow Jesus together. God bless you.

Guest (Male): If you'd like to help us in this endeavor to get the word of God out so people can learn of God's Abounding Grace, drop by aboundinggraceradio.com. There you'll find a secure place to donate. And when you give a donation of $25 or more to Abounding Grace, you're invited to request a copy of Jim Symmula's book Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire. In it, he shares unforgettable stories including from his own daughter. You'll see how the church has grown and how God has helped people through difficult changes, challenges, and encounters. Jim also reveals how God continues to reshape the lives of so many people who come to Jesus through the power of the gospel.

Request a copy of Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire when you give a donation of $25 or more today. We genuinely appreciate the generosity of our listeners. It helps us provide the teaching of God's word on stations all across the nation. So thank you for standing with us. Call 877-30 Grace. 877-30 Grace. You can also get the book online at Calvary co dot store. And then be sure to join Pastor Ed next time for more teaching from the book of 1 Samuel right here on Abounding Grace.

Guest (Male): This is a missing grace. This is a failing love. That you would take my place. That you would bear my cross. You laid down your life that I would be set free. Oh Jesus, I sing for all that you've done for me.

Guest (Male): Abounding Grace is brought to you by Calvary Church, Colorado, here in Aurora.