30th April 2026


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Luke 16v19-31) 


Message (Scott Woodburn) 


The lives of the rich man and Lazarus couldn't have been more different. One life was marked by wealth and plenty, while the other life knew great hardship. Even so, their fortunes were remarkably different in death. The rich man's wealth did not serve him well in the grave. He found himself in the place called "Hades" (v23) in great torment.


Where is Hades? Hades is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word "Sheol" which often in the Old Testament means the grave from where we can be delivered. We see this in various Psalms, for example Psalm 16v10 "For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol, or let your holy one see corruption." and Psalm 86v13 "For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol." However Sheol can also mean the place that you and I call Hell. We read in Job 21v13 “The wicked in a moment go down to sheol” and in Psalm 9v17 “The wicked shall be turned into sheol, and all the nations that, forget God.”


So did Jesus use Hades in this passage to mean the grave from which we can be delivered or the place called Hell? Given that the rich man was in torment we must understand Hades in this instance as Hell itself which is a place of punishment for those who have rejected Christ and died in their sin.


Lazarus on the other hand was described as being carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom or side (v22). If Hades was Hell then we must understand Abraham's bosom as being the place called Heaven. The Scriptures paint Heaven as a place of joy and bliss. Jesus promised Heaven to the thief on the cross and described it as "Paradise" (Luke 23v43). It is the place where Jesus is and a place where the troubles of this life cannot exist. Heaven is the Christian's reward and the inheritance that is ours by faith in Christ.


I've never met anyone who wants to go to Hell and in fact I am told at every funeral I have ever conducted that the deceased person is in a better place. But the Lord's parable teaches that not everyone goes to Heaven. This life is not all there is, death is sure and then eternity is spent in one of two places - Heaven or Hell. If you want to go to Hell then do nothing and you'll get there. If you would prefer Paradise then believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you too will dwell at Abraham's side. Where will you spend eternity?


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Q55 What is forbidden in the third commandment? The third commandment forbiddeth all profaning or abusing of anything whereby God maketh himself known.
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29th April 2026


Pray (ACts)


Read (1 Samuel 25 focus v14-31)


Message (Alan Burke)


"But by the grace of God, go I”. I’m sure you heard that, you might have even said it. What it conveys is a recognition that our circumstances could easily be different without divine grace or circumstances that we found ourselves in, and it acknowledges that what others have faced could have been our own if it were not for divine grace or the circumstances that we found ourselves in. Well, David found himself in a situation that if it were not for the restraining grace of God, he would have disqualified himself to be king; he would have been no better than the rejected king Saul, who was still on the throne, and here we see the LORD at work in a very real way in David’s life. Remember where we are: Saul is hunting David; he’s gone far south to the Sinai Peninsula so that he is out of reach of Saul; he’s been living in the wilderness and, having asked for aid from Nabal and his request being rejected, he’s left in a rage so much so that his intention is to go and kill Nabal and all the men in his camp. It seems out of character for David, but knowing all that he has been through, knowing his circumstances helps us to see the reason, at least in part, that caused him to react in this way. 


Nabal’s wife, we have already been introduced to, is Abigail. Described as intelligent and beautiful, whereas he, while he was an incredibly rich man in the day he lived, was surly— that’s the word the NIV84 uses; the KJV uses churlish and the ESV harsh and badly behaved— he was a man whose name suited him well for he was a fool, and his name literally means food. Now we are told of how one of the servants told Abigail about what Nabal had said. He makes it clear not only what Nabal had said but also the goodness of David and his men, how they were a wall of protection, and this servant, unlike his master, is no fool. He said to Abigail: “…Now think it over and see what you can do, because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him” (17). 


What an indictment of Nabal from his servants; they knew that their master was a wicked man. The Hebrew word, though the ESV translates as worthless, the KJV as a son of Belial means, to "waste away" or "decay" like rotting flesh. That was the view of Nabal’s men towards him; they saw him as a worthless, wicked waster. Yet the LORD in his restraining grace uses Abigail to restrain the hand of David from doing something incredibly foolhardy. She acts; we’re told that she lost no time (18). In fact, Abigail sees the folly of her husband; she gathers together enough food not to feed six hundred men, but enough to act as a token gesture. She doesn't tell her husband when she goes and rides a donkey out to meet David, and when she sees him coming towards her, she quickly gets off her donkey, bows before David, accepts the guilt of her husband as her own (23). She does all that she can to try to de-escalate the situation, seeking forgiveness for the insult of her husband.


The Lord used this woman to restrain David from sinning, to stop him in his tracks, and he had revealed to her the truth of who David was and is. The LORD, through Abigail, used his restraining grace to stop David’s murderous rage before it was too late. “But by the grace of God go I” those words could be rightly attributed to David here in his situation and yet the LORD continues to work by his restraining grace in our lives. The Lord used Abigail to stop David in his tracks, to stop him from sinning and the same the LORD uses people in our lives, he causes things to happen to us, he helps us, leads us and guides us. Many times we will never see or understand, sometimes we can look back and see, sometimes he lets us go head first into our sin and make an absolute mess of things yet by his providence God is at work, for he by his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions is at work.


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Q54 What is required in the third commandment?
A. The third commandment requireth the holy and reverent use of God’s names, titles, attributes, ordinances, word, and works.
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28th April 2026


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Luke 16v19-31) 


Message (Scott Woodburn)


One of the greatest lies ever told is that this life is all there is. Perhaps you have heard someone urging you to live for today because you are a long time dead? Me too. I'm not against making the most of today but I am incredibly thankful that this world and life is not all we have.


Think for a wee moment about our town of Ballynahinch. I often joke at the expense of the 'Hinch but (don't tell anyone) I have grown to love this place. I love the walk down by the river, I love looking out over the town from the old windmill, I love the history of the place and I love Edengrove. But would I want to live here forever? No way. What about East Belfast? As much as I love home it is not without it's problems.


The next time you have a moment try and take in the world around you. I once found myself in the great city of Rome and was almost overcome by the stench of the place, I walked through Belfast last June and noticed the empty shops and failing infrastructure and I drove up Dromore Street just last week and slowed to watch as the PSNI were dragging someone into a police car. We don't have to look far to see that all is not as it should be upon the earth.


Jesus once told a story about two men who at first glance couldn't be more different. The first man wasn't named but he was dressed in the finest clothing and his table lacked nothing (v19). I often ask people are they living the dream and everyone always says they are. I'm not sure if they're telling the truth but this man truly was living the dream.


The second man lay outside the first man's house and was called Lazarus (v20) which means "God has helped." This story is often seen as a parable which is a story with a deeper and veiled meaning. Jesus frequently told parables but He only ever named one person in a parable. That person was Lazarus and so some have suggested that Jesus was here telling a real life story rather than a parable. Lazarus was certainly not living the dream. His body was covered in sores (v20b) which dogs would come and lick and he was so poor that his daily hope was to be fed with scraps from the rich man's table (v21a).


None of us if we had our choice would want a life like Lazarus, all of us would choose the life of plenty. Yet if both men were separate in life, they were united in death (v22). There is no rhyme or reason to life. Some struggle while others succeed, some never know a day of worry while others weep through the night and some dance a jig on their 90th birthday while others know physical weakness all their days.


What is your life? Just a mist that appears for a time and then is gone (James 4v14). This life isn't all there is and death is not the end. Christ gives meaning to life with all of it's complexities and He gives hope for something greater to come after death. Trust Him.


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Q53 Which is the third commandment? The third commandment is, Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
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27th April 2026


Pray (ACts)


Read (1 Samuel 25 focus v1-13)


Message (Alan Burke) 


Every year we meet countless people, from when we go to get the hair done, walk into a shop, head to the doctor, or go to worship. The settings can be as varied as the interactions. If we were getting the hair done, there might be quite a lot of chat, but in the shop getting a few groceries, we might just pass someone by and smile and even pay at the self-checkout, not having to talk to anyone. For each and every person that we meet as we go, there is a story, lots that we do not know. We often don’t know what is behind the facade that someone is putting on. We don’t know what has caused a man to stand on a roof wanting to jump, but there are other times that we’ve got to know someone and we know what is going on. We know the triggers that cause them to see the red mist. We know the important dates that will bring a tear to their eyes. We know that the dog is sick and they are a wee bit sensitive at the moment, and it helps us to know whether something is out of character for them and even the causes behind it. 


We’ve been following the account of David for a while now, the anointed king, and he is being hunted relentlessly by the rejected king Saul. He’s running from place to place, hiding in the wilderness, having put distance between himself and all those whom he cares about. So as we come to 1 Samuel 25, we know a lot of what is going on behind the facade, and it’s amazing that David has kept it together for so long, but now David is at breaking point. We are told that Samuel died, Israel assembled and mourned, and then David moved into the Desert of Paran, also referred to as Maon. If you’re wondering where that is, on the Sinai Peninsula where the people wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, and David has tried to put distance between himself and Saul. For David, he would have been a pretty low ebb. The scene is set for us in this opening verse, which helps us make sense of what follows, which seems totally out of character for David. 


We are introduced to a certain man called Nabal. He is minted, an incredibly rich man in the day he lived. He was surly, that’s the word the NIV84 uses; the KJV uses churlish, and the ESV harsh and badly behaved. In the verses that follow as David sends his men to Nabal, we learn that in effect he’d been running a protection racket. Now the sheep shearing time was a time where it was all hands on deck; in effect, you’d have everyone together. The sheep that were out in the field were vulnerable to being taken, and throughout this, David and his men had been there making sure that nothing happened to Nabal’s men or stock. He had kept them from thieves, and they had taken nothing of Nabal’s for themselves. And he sends some of his men to Nabal looking for some provisions.


Nabal mocks David’s request to his men, asking “Who is this David?”. Everyone knew who David was, so Nabal is showing his character, and he was a fool. Not only in his actions, but also in his name, which literally means fool. Having worked through 1 Samuel, we see just how out of character David’s response is when he heard of what Nabal had said. We can factor in all that was going on in his life, which gives us some understanding, but David responds just as Nabal, foolishly. It was more than a bit of an overreaction; he was going to slaughter Nabal and his men. David was a sinner like you and I. In Psalm 51, David confessed, “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me” (51:5). David is not held out to us as a model for our life, for he was a sinner who was saved by grace through faith. Instead, we must look to the one who would come from David’s line, the one in whom David looked to, the Messiah, the Christ, Jesus, the sinless, spotless lamb who came to atone for our sin (Ps 110:1). So that even in our sin every day and in those times of weakness when we respond to a fool like David did and become a fool ourselves, it is Jesus and what he has done for us that matters in our salvation.


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Q52 What are the reasons annexed to the second commandment?
A. The reasons annexed to the second commandment are, God’s sovereignty over us, his propriety in us, and the zeal he hath to his own worship.

25th April 2026


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Song of Solomon 8v13-14) 


Message (Scott Woodburn) 


The Song of Solomon didn't end with a description of a marriage ceremony or how the happy couple decorated their bathroom. Instead the Shulammite and Shepherd gave us one last glimpse of the intimacy that both were prepared to fight for. Their journey had been an uncertain one and yet they had come from the wilderness arm in arm - their relationship was now secure.


As for the Shepherd, he had one final request for his Bride - he asked to hear her voice (18v13). Relationships are much more than physical intimacy and the Shulammite herself had made that clear earlier in the Song as she described the Shepherd as her beloved and her friend. It is wonderfully fitting therefore that when all was said and done, the Shepherd desired to hear the voice of the woman he loved.


The Shulammite desired something else in her final words - she called upon her beloved to come to her quickly like a gazelle or stag on the mountain of spices (8v14). It appears that she was once again calling for physical intimacy. She had waited for so long to be with her husband and as the Song ended now she longs to feel his touch.


There is much to be said about human relationships and every relationship will know the highs and lows of life in a fallen world as fallen people seek to relate to one another. Yet the Song of Solomon directs us to a right emphasis which we see evidenced between the two main figures in the book. Relationships between husband and wife need a wise combination of both the physical and the emotional with further serious attention paid to the spiritual.


I'm certain that Solomon wasn't the hero of this book but I am thankful that the wise King never lost his wisdom. He once said that a threefold cord is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4v12) and I believe firmly that every relationship from marriage to friendship to work would benefit if Christ was always the third strand. May all of our relationships be different than those we see in the world around us and may Christ be honoured in how we live and love. 


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Q51 What is forbidden in the second commandment? The second commandment forbiddeth the worshipping of God by images, or any other way not appointed in his Word.
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24th April 2026

Pray (ACts)


Read (1 Samuel 24 focus v16-22)


Message (Alan Burke)


Providence. You know that the capital city of Rhode Island in the United States is called ‘Providence’. The settlement was named after "God's merciful Providence”, but the thing is that I doubt the majority of the people of Providence, Rhode Island, know anything about why it was named or God’s merciful providence. In the Westminster Shorter Catechism, it gives a summary of what Providence means, asking Q11. What are God’s works of providence? A. God’s works of providence are his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing all his creatures and all their actions. As we come to this, the third instalment of 1 Samuel 24, we see ultimately how the LORD’s purposes will be fulfilled, all according to his providence. 


The LORD had put Saul into the hands of David, yet David did not take the opportunity before him. He knew that just because we have the opportunity to do something doesn’t mean that we should. He knew that vengeance was the LORD’s, and this interaction between David and Saul, which now comes, is what we see in Saul. He was a man who had been confronted with his own guilt; he was reduced to tears. The shock of how close he had come to death, the stabbing pain of the accusation against him, the knowledge that he had much innocent blood on his hands over his hatred of David had left him broken, well, at least in appearance. 


Look to his words that come at the beginning of v17, where Saul says to David, “You are more righteous than I”. Words that express that while Saul wept aloud, he had not grasped the fullness of his own sin against the LORD and towards David. From evildoers come evil deeds; David has said to Saul, and Saul’s deeds had been evil; he was a man, though, who couldn’t see the extent of his evil, of his sin. Sin had blinded him to the truth. He is willing to admit that David is more righteous than he is, but not accept that he was an evildoer. Saul is like many people today, and here is what I mean: they look to others and might acknowledge that they are a much better person than themselves, but to accept that they are not good, that somehow they are altogether sinful or indeed evil in the sight of the LORD is not something that they can accept. 


Yet Saul was sinful. He had done great evil, yet he still sees himself as righteous. His heart was hardened. He chose his own path rather than the LORD’s. By our nature, we are each one sinful, the enemies of God, yet we can have great hope, for as Saul acknowledged, David would be King before they parted, we know that the LORD was working out his purposes, and a greater King than David would come. This king has come, the LORD Jesus Christ, and through him, we might be the righteous of God through faith, clothed with his righteousness, justified by his blood (Rom 5:9), so that we who are altogether sinful, indeed evil, may have nothing to fear even in death for we are forgiven. While none of us like waiting, we need to know, just like David’s men, that God’s kingdom cannot be established in our own strength or power but by the LORD’s will and in his timing. His purposes will be fulfilled. When his kingdom finally comes, his kingdom will overthrow those in rebellion against him. The wicked will be punished. That’s what we pray for in the LORD’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” The LORD’s purposes will be fulfilled. David would be king, but there would come another king, the true king, Jesus Christ.


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Q50 What is required in the second commandment?
A. The second commandment requireth the receiving, observing, and keeping pure and entire, all such religious worship and ordinances as God hath appointed in his Word.

23rd April 2026


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Song of Solomon 8v11-12) 


Message (Scott Woodburn) 


By this stage you are well aware that I have not presented Solomon as the hero of the Song. I'm certainly not the first to come up with this perspective but it is one that I grew convinced of as I studied the Song of Solomon last summer. There are various reasons for my stance but the main argument that I found very persuasive comes in today's two verses. They say "Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon; he let out the vineyard to keepers; each one was to bring for its fruit a thousand pieces of silver. My vineyard, my very own, is before me; you, O Solomon, may have the thousand, and the keepers of the fruit two hundred."


It is my view that these are the words of the Shulammite and they are scathingly critical of Solomon. She said that Solomon had a vineyard at Baal-hamon which, if a place, either didn't exist or has been lost. However, if we consider the meaning of Baal-hamon then we realise that the Shulammite was playing with words. Baal-hamon means "Lord of a multitude" and so Solomon didn't live there but he actually was the Baal-hamon. The wise King who became foolish had the means to buy a multitude of women - he would give their families a thousand pieces of silver and the keepers of his hareem would each be paid a further two hundred. So if Solomon had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines he was looking at a bill of one million pieces of silver for his women alone and that's before he paid for their keepers and their upkeep.


This was and remains an extraordinary cost that the King willingly paid because he did not keep himself from anything that his heart desired (Ecclesiastes 2v8). The Shulammite on the other hand did not rent out her vineyard, her body was her own and the only one she wanted to give it to was the Shepherd. She had turned down Solomon's advances and told the King in no uncertain terms that he could keep his money (8v12), she found his lifestyle wanting.


There is a famous photo of a man called August Landmesser who refused to offer the Nazi salute when a party official visited his factory. Landmesser's wife was Jewish and so he stood with his arms folded in a crowd of hundreds of people saluting their leader. Landmesser would not survive the Second World War but he kept his integrity in the midst of a submissive generation.


Brothers and sisters, the world we find ourselves in does not agree with the Biblical sexual ethic. We are seen as old fashioned dinosaurs who wish that we had been born in the reserved conservative air of Victorian Britain. It's not true. The gift of physical intercourse is one from God and it is to be celebrated and enjoyed within the confines of the marriage bed. We don't live in Solomon's day or that of Queen Victoria but the choice before us remains the same - will we salute Baal-hamon, the Lord of a multitude or will we heed the call of Jesus Christ, the Lord of lords?


"Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." (1 Corinthians 6v18-20).


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Q49 Which is the second commandment? The second commandment is, Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
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22nd April 2026


Pray (ACts)


Read (1 Samuel 24 focus v8-15)


Message (Alan Burke)




You’ve maybe sailed through your life and never been hurt, never been treated badly, passed over for a promotion, never been bullied at school, never had someone from work who was a constant eejit towards you, or many of the other examples I could think of, but more than likely you’ve experienced something at some point in your life at the hands of others that has left you hurt. That hurt may still be something you relive years later. Sometimes that hurt is added to, like compound interest, it just keeps adding to that initial hurt that you experienced. Well, if you had the chance to see that they got a taste of their own medicine, you would revel in it. Or if they get their comeuppance at the hands of someone else, we might say to the world “that’s awful,” but inwardly we’re thinking they deserved it for what they did to me. 


Bother and sister, that is not the way that we should be. We should remember to look to our saviour and forgive as we have been forgiven. That is what we pray in the Lord’s prayer (Mt 6:12). The reason why I start like this today is because we see David being conscience-stricken having cut the corner of Saul’s robe. Yes, he had figuratively taken the kingdom from Saul, and he had to persuade his men not to kill Saul. We’d may have been like David’s men wanting to put Saul to death for what he had done, but David knew the Lord’s way, and it is not our way. He could have killed Saul that day, instructed his men to kill him, but he did not. David knew that opportunity doesn’t mean that it is right to take it. David then goes out of the cave holding the corner of Saul’s robe. On a different day with a different person, it would have been Saul’s head held high, but David showed reverence and respect for a man who has hunted him, that we might think didn’t deserve it. He said to Saul, “My lord, the king!”


David then confronted Saul about how he had listened to the voices of his men when David chose to ignore his and instead of doing evil, spared Saul even though the LORD had given him into his hands. His actions testified to the truth of his character; he showed mercy, relieving his innocence, faithfulness, kindness, and grace. He had demonstrated that he would leave it to the LORD to decide between the two. For David knew that was not the appointed Judge of Saul; he would not pass judgement on Saul and what he had done. We might all think that David would have been justified to kill Saul and carry his head out to his men, thinking he deserved everything he got from David, but the LORD had not appointed David as Saul’s executioner. 


The LORD would judge, and David, amidst all that took place, entrusted himself to the LORD. He was confident that the LORD would have the final say. David understood the words of the LORD in Deuteronomy 32:35-36: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. Likewise, we must understand, as Paul wrote, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” 


Today, we have a justice system to hold people to account, and it is right and appropriate that people face earthly justice, but the LORD is the one who has the final say in all matters, and we are to leave vengeance to Him. One day, all will be judged. It was not David’s place nor is it ours to take vengeance but the Lord’s. David had confidence in the LORD and His plan for him. He knew it wouldn’t happen in his own doing but only in the LORD’s. David is willing to wait rather than grasp at the Lord’s gift. And we too must have that confidence that, even though we may not know why, we know that ultimately God is working His ultimate purpose out. There will be a day that all are held to account by the just judge Jesus Christ. All who have confessed will be saved, and we who have been saved are called to look to our LORD in all things, not being conformed to this world but being transformed by the renewal of our minds, that by testing we may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect will (Rom 12:2)


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Q48 What are we specially taught by these words, before me,” in the first commandment?
A. These words, before me,” in the first commandment teach us, that God, who seeth all things, taketh notice of, and is much displeased with, the sin of having any other God.

21st April 2026


Pray (ACts) 


Read (Song of Solomon 8v8-10) 


Message (Scott Woodburn) 


The Shulammite and the Shepherd had finally become one flesh but they didn't yet ride off into the sunset. They had a little sister who had not yet reached maturity (8v8) and so the couple wondered what they would do for her when the day arrived that a man came knocking.


True wisdom is found in the fear of God (Proverbs 1v7) and gracious wise words are as sweet as honey (Proverbs 16v24). The truly wise will give God's wisdom freely to all who who hear it and so the new couple were prepared to pass their experience and wisdom to their little sister. Their goal was to aid this young girl to resist the temptations and pitfalls of a sinful world. The Shulammite had stood as firm as a wall against Solomon's call (8v10) and her breasts were like towers to which the King had no access and in all of this she was no prude or woman to be pitied but a woman of peace (8v10b).


Would the Shulammite's little sister follow this example? How would she respond if a future King arrived to take her to his hareem? Perhaps against such temptation the little sister would echo the Shulammite and be like a wall standing firm against the seductions of this harlot world (8v9a). If so the Shulammite and the Shepherd would make her even stronger and build upon her a battlement of silver. On the other hand if the little sister was like a door and showed openness to Solomon's seductions, the couple would enclose her all around with strong boards of cedar. Whatever the future held the happy couple were determined to prepare the next generation for the realities of this world.


These two verses are at first glance a little bit odd but when understood they are entirely practical. Brothers and sisters, do not neglect to share God's wisdom with the next generation and although having conversations about the "birds and the bees" might cause you to blush, if you are not prepared to speak on these things the world will certainly fill the void. This world sees sex as the ultimate expression of human freedom and everything around us is highly sexualised and full of temptation. If the next generation are walls then help build them higher and if they are doors then block all access. God is not silent on these issues and we should not be either. Speak wisdom to the next generation and show them Christ - in Him there is fulness of joy and peace.


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Q47 What is forbidden in the first commandment? The first commandment forbiddeth the denying, or not worshipping and glorifying, the true God as God, and our God; and the giving of that worship and glory to any other, which is due to him alone.

20th April 2026


Pray (ACts)


Read (1 Samuel 24 focus v1-7)


Message (Alan Burke) 


Peer pressure, it might be a while since you have experienced it on the school playground, and maybe you’re thankful for that, or you’re thinking you wish you could go back to those days. Peer pressure is the influence of one’s peer group; while it may be a while since we have experienced it, we have all experienced the pressure to conform. The influence of society, media, friends, colleagues all play a part so that we feel pressured to go a certain way. It may be the case that in times that we have experienced pressure to conform, we have just conformed, but other times we haven’t and we have experienced the disapproval, pressure, stress of that from those around us. Today, we pick up, and David is still being hunted by Saul.


The last time David escaped the clutches of Saul was because he had bigger, more important, pressing concerns than his own paranoia concerning David. Then, with the Philistines dealt with, the hunt for David is back on, as reports come to him that David was hiding at En-gedi. And Saul narrowed his search to an area near the Crags of the Wild Goats. A place known for its inaccessibility. Now, I want you to see the odds against David; things from a human perspective weren’t good. We are told Saul had three thousand men. I have chosen men before me, and it refers to the standing army that Saul had at his disposal. They were three thousand skilled and courageous warriors, the best of the best, you could say, and they were on the hunt for David and his band of not-so-merry men. For David has around himself a band of men like Robin Hood, but they were not fighters, not really. They were, as we were told earlier in the narrative, those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him (1 Sam 22:2). 


Saul and his men made their way through the Crags, with David hiding along with his men in one of the caves that could hold well in excess of 1,000 people. Needing to receive himself, Saul was put in the hands of David. His men saw this as God giving Saul into his hands. There is no doubt that the LORD was on David’s side; his men now believed that this was the moment, they saw the opportunity, and believed that it was divine permission; it was an opportunity for David to end Saul, but it was not permission. Just because David could kill Saul didn't mean that he should. David ignored his men; he didn’t give into peer pressure. The expectation was that he would kill Saul, but instead, he simply cut off a corner of his robe. What is more striking is that he was conscience-stricken for doing this. 


He knew that the LORD’s anointed were not to be harmed in spite of their sin (See Genesis 20:6–7, 66:11, 1 Chronicles 16:22; Psalm 105:15). David understood this; while he had the opportunity to cut Saul’s head off, it was a test, and he had figuratively taken the kingdom from Saul, the LORD’s anointed. What David faced was a test of his faith in the LORD, and his way that develops perseverance. In James 1, we are told: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. David was going through many trials; the LORD was testing him to develop perseverance within him. While conscience-stricken, he had not followed his own desires or the voices of his men; he could have let himself be influenced by others, but he didn’t. 


There are times that the LORD allows us to face trials of many kinds; they are the testing of our faith that develops perseverance. In what lies before us, we shouldn’t be looking to the world or the voices that shout loudest; we should be looking to the LORD. For there are lots of times that we are told that this is okay, that this is good, but it doesn’t mean that the voices are telling us what is right. We need first and foremost to look to God and his word as our rule and guide; it is our supreme authority. David’s decisions were led by what he knew from the truth of God’s word; ours should be too.


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q46 What is required in the first commandment?
A. The first commandment requireth us to know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God, and to worship and glorify him accordingly.
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