Real Life Radio

Jack Hibbs: We must rest in the Lord. David is our example. Everything seems to be apparently coming apart at the seams, but God’s got a perfect plan. The Lord is on the move. This is encouraging.

David Jay: This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I'm David Jay, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's Word, the Bible.

Fear does not have to control your life, not when Christ is at the center of it. This month, we're featuring a powerful and deeply personal book, Living Fearless in Christ by Hediye Mirahmadi. Once a devout follower of Islam and a high-level attorney in Washington, Hediye had everything except peace until she encountered the living Jesus.

Choosing to follow him cost her everything: her career, her status, and her place in the world she once knew. But what she gained was far greater: freedom, identity, and a fearless faith that cannot be shaken. Her story will challenge you, encourage you, and remind you of the power of the gospel to transform lives. Living Fearless in Christ is more than a testimony; it's a call to bold surrender. Available for the month of February for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com, where real stories point you to real truth and real life in Christ.

On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues with his series called First Samuel in a message titled, When the Lord is in the Lead, Part 2. Samuel of the Old Testament was the last judge of Israel and he was the first of her prophets. So, here as we continue in chapter 23, we'll consider the common thread of two major events in the life of David.

You see, there was the rescue of the city of Keilah from the Philistines and David's narrow escape from Saul. Although they might seem unrelated at first—one, of course, a military rescue and one, a flight from danger—both are in need of God's guidance and deliverance. So today, Pastor Jack teaches us that when all human hope is gone, God's timing and intervention may actually surprise us.

David trusted in God's plan, and his obedience led to blessing and to protection in a time that seemed irrational and dangerous. Now, with his message called When the Lord is in the Lead, Part 2, here's pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs.

Jack Hibbs: Christian, you've been tithing, you've been serving, you've been attending, you're loving God, you're doing the best you can, and apparently everything's against you. Someone’s out to kill you. These people you’re going to go down there and deliver, it's all going to turn. There are a lot of rumors flying around about your life, David. It doesn't look very good. They're after you.

Isn't it amazing God could just stop the universe with his pinky finger, and God says, "David, go and fight the battle. I'm going to deliver them into your hands." Great, so we're going to win the battle. How about, while you're at it, God, can you knock Saul off his pony and take care of him too?

If you're going to help me and use me to destroy the Philistine army attack against Keilah, then how about while we're at it, God, let's get on a roll together and defeat Saul at the same time? It seems economically wise. The troops are already out there. Why does this happen? I don't know why it happens.

I'm going to give you victory in this area, but you're going to have a battle in the other. What is that? Christian, you ever been there? Man, how come we say, "God, I got victory in this area. What's this area such a struggle for? I have enough faith for that, but I struggle with this."

Interesting. I don't know the answer to that. I know that it causes me to ask God, to consult God more. I'm hoping that as I get older, I'm going to wind up obtaining wisdom from it. Verses 14 and 15 says regarding wisdom we learn this: wisdom to know when to stand still. This is a Christian problem.

And David stayed in the strongholds in the wilderness, and he remained in the mountains in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day. You can just change the name Saul there and put Satan sought him every day. Satan seeks you every day. Satan seeks us all the time. Satan never sleeps. He never has to take a nap. He's a spirit being. He hates you. He hates us.

Saul to me is a type like that when you see him pursuing David. But look at the end of verse 14: "But God did not deliver him into his hand." God did not deliver David into Saul's hand. Praise the Lord for that. So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in the forest.

Listen, church. Very wise. He stayed in the stronghold and waited. He remained in the mountains. Even though Saul sought him every day, God would not allow Saul to have victory over David. Why? Because God had a call upon David's life.

Isaiah 40:31 is a fantastic verse. "But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength." I need that in my life right now. I need that. It's not that I'm physically tired. I need, and maybe you do too, a time when I tell you I need my strength renewed. And you want to hope it comes from a two-week vacation. It doesn't do it.

Vacations are great. Take your family, enjoy them. Do it. You've got to have that time. But that's not what we're talking about here. There is a waiting upon the Lord that can take place around you when everything is going nuts at work or at home. There is a waiting that renews your strength. It is a spiritual recharge. And it has nothing to do with vacation. You can go on vacation and wind up getting worse. It's a spiritual pump.

How do you get it? You wait on the Lord. Let me encourage this insane society that you and I live in. It's not that we're just going to find a rock like Maharishi and cross your legs and hum. That's not how you get it. That's not the waiting we're talking about. It's not focusing on that harmonic convergence of the universe, finding that pyramid power, or drinking that herbal shake. That's not going to do it. That won't work.

There's only one way to be strengthened in the spirit, and that is to wait upon him. And it is an attitude. It doesn't mean you stand still physically. You can, but that's not the answer. David was in the strongholds. They were hiding out in the caves there in that canyon. That's true. But the word in the Hebrew here for "they wait upon the Lord," it's an attitude.

It's an attitude that you present yourself before God. It's a presentation of yourself. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. It's a giving of all of who you are, coming into the presence of the Lord and setting it down, so to speak, at his feet and hearing from him. This whole chapter is about hearing from God. You hear from him, your strength is bolstered, and you can mount up with wings as eagles.

They shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. Doesn't that sound wonderful? Remember when we were young little kids and you could run? Remember when it was really windy when you were a kid? When it was really windy, I remember loving it. I was really fast when I was a little kid. I could really run. And I remember just running when the winds would blow.

I would run headfirst into the wind and I loved the sound and the feel of the wind against my ears and my face. It was like you could just run into eternity like that. They'll run and they won't grow weary. This is spiritual stuff. He's not talking about the marathon. He's talking about spiritual endurance.

God will grant that to you. Present your case before him. Here's the beautiful thing: it takes no energy to present your case before him. If anything, it takes an absolute, complete undoing to present your case before him. Wisdom. Listen, what was David thinking at such an hour? We know what wisdom as God was leading, we know what David was thinking. Mark it down. Awesome chapter. Psalm 91.

"He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, 'He is my refuge.'" Listen, this is David speaking to his soul. I love it. In another place, David says, "Why so cast down are you, oh my soul?" He would talk to himself. It’s a good thing.

"He is my refuge," David says to himself. "Come on, slap, slap, wake up out of it. He's my refuge, my fortress, my God, in him I will trust. Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with his feathers and under his wings you shall take refuge. His truth shall be your shield and your buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night or the terrorist by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lies at waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your right side and ten thousand at your right hand, but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place." Verse 9, Psalm 91:9.

"No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands, they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent shall trample underfoot."

"Because he has set his love upon me," this is the Lord speaking now. God is speaking in verse 14. "Because Junior has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him." Isn't that great? "I will set him on high." This is what God speaks to the psalmist. This is what God speaks to every one of you who cry out and lean upon him.

"I will set you up on the high because he has known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him and honor him. With long life, I will satisfy him and show him my salvation." That is awesome. That is the Word of God to every believer. And it's more sweet as the hour grows late, isn't it?

David Jay: You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, just go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. And for now, let's get back to our teaching. Once again, here's Pastor Jack.

Jack Hibbs: And then finally, when the Lord is in the lead, we learn in verses 24 to 29 that the Lord will be mighty on our behalf. So they, the men of Ziph, arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

When Saul and his men went to seek David, they told David. Therefore he went down to the rock and stayed in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued David in the wilderness of Maon. What do we learn about this? The Lord is mighty, yes. But we commit our best unto the Lord. David is taking action. He's on the move. He's doing the right thing. He's following God.

Then Saul went on one side of the mountain and David and his men on the other side. So David made haste to get away from Saul. That's not a lack of faith. He's being wise. He's doing the right thing. It's the only thing he can do. For Saul and his men were encircling David and his men to take them.

But a messenger came to Saul saying, "Hasten and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land." This is a military distraction. Do you think that God knew how to get Saul off of David's back? A messenger comes. "Hey, the Philistines are now after our land." Well, Saul says, "I better give up on chasing David. Better go back and protect the homeland."

Therefore, Saul returned from pursuing David and went against the Philistines. So they called that place the Rock of Escape. And then David went up from there and dwelt in the strongholds of En Gedi. Strongholds of En Gedi. An amazingly barren place. Beautiful. Amazing.

But what a wilderness. When you talk En Gedi, you are talking a wilderness area. We were there early in the morning. The temperature in this location in the summer has reached temperatures nearing 140 degrees. From this region, though, David is going to go—we're going to hear about it next time—when David goes up to the cave that's in the valley of the goats. It's an oasis.

It's a beautiful place. Amazing. It's tucked away in a canyon. And it'll blow your mind how God had this little wilderness that's there to this day, an oasis. It's awesome. I remember being in the water. We thought nothing was alive in this whole area. We went up this canyon, and the waterfall's coming out, and there's this pool.

And where the temperatures get up to these incredible levels, there are ferns and moss growing out of the rocks. You've got to be kidding me. I'm not kidding. It's amazing. And guess what? It's in the valley of the goats. Guess what lives there? These incredible goats. We wouldn't call them goats; we would call them impalas. They have this massive rack of horns and they're huge things. And they're all over, still, thousands of years later. They're still there.

But I want to end with this. We must rest in the Lord. You've got to rest in the Lord. David is our example. Everything looks like it's against him. Everything seems to be apparently coming apart at the seams. But God's got a perfect plan. The Lord is on the move. This is encouraging.

David's on the run. He's hiding out. Saul's trying to kill him. He's fighting battles. It's a ragtag team of guys he's got. It doesn't look good. But David has learned a great strength, and that is to listen to the voice of the Lord and to consult the Lord in all that he does. That is a great victory that if you and I do this, if this church does this, if your family does this, you'll never fail. You will never fail.

You cannot fail. If you say, "Pastor Jack, I've got this decision to make and I'm waiting upon the Lord and I haven't heard from him yet and I have the option to wait." Wait. When we don't wait upon the Lord and we run ahead of God, we get a bloody nose. We get hurt. We call the shot, we get bloody.

If we wait, we can never outwait God. Never. Even if you're not sure, "I'm not sure. I'm going to wait a little bit more." God will wait for you too. He'll just hold the universe. He's consulting me. It's okay. You can never outwait God. He's so good. You can outrun God and get in big trouble, but you can never outwait him. He will wait with you. He won't run with you. He'll wait with you. Okay?

If you run, you're going to get a smashed-up face. And sometimes we're like that as Christians. "I've got to do that." Why? "I just have to go. I've got to do it. I've got to make this decision." Watch out. There could be a spiritual bag on your head and you could get hurt.

Let's pray. Father, we are grateful for your Word. Lord, you have over and over again told us to consult you. And God, we pray that we would learn this lesson tonight. That we would invite you and include you into everything that we do. Everything.

Father, I have no jurisdiction over any other church on this planet, and I'm glad for that. But I do pray for this one. I pray that you would build our spiritual fortitude. And God, that you would erect in our back, galvanize our spiritual spine to be people strong in faith, in awe of you so much that no earthly presence could cause us fear. And Lord, watch over this church. I commit it into your hands in Jesus' name, Amen.

David Jay: Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio and his message called When the Lord is in the Lead, Part 2. Thanks for being with us today. We appreciate you so much. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called First Samuel. It's a series that highlights the prophet Samuel, who was called by God during one of Israel's darkest times to bring the people back to a heart of true worship. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.

So as you heard from our broadcast, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And if you'd like to know what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life personally, we would love to help you out with that. Go to jackhibbs.com/knowgod. That's K-N-O-W God. And there you'll be guided through what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life and the freedom that you'll find in knowing God. Don't miss out. That's the Know God tab at jackhibbs.com.

Jack Hibbs: Hey everybody, on February 11th, that’s a Wednesday night at 7:00 PM Pacific Time, I'm going to invite you to sit down with me as I interview Hediye Mirahmadi. She was once a Muslim born and raised in the Islamic world, and having heard the gospel of Jesus Christ, came to know the Lord. We’re going to sit down and talk about the world around us, about faith, and about our country. So join us Wednesday, February 11th at 7:00 PM Pacific Time on the Real Life Network. Go to reallifenetwork.com.

David Jay: Your week is packed. You're running on empty, and sometimes Sunday already feels like a distant memory by Wednesday. That's exactly why Real Life Devotions exist. Each week, Pastor Jack Hibbs brings you a short but powerful moment in God's Word designed to encourage, equip, and refocus your heart. It's not another podcast or a long sermon; it's a few meaningful minutes that meet you right where you are.

Whether you're on a commute, going for a walk, or you just need a reset in the middle of your day, Real Life Devotions are ready when you are. Fresh encouragement straight from the Scripture, and it's all just one click away. Check out the newest devotion now at jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. Your place for real faith, real encouragement, and real life. That's Real Life Devotions at jackhibbs.com.

This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you, our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. Until next time, Pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in his Word. We'll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.