Fear will cause you to make wrong choices

"Fear will make wrong choices."




1Samuel 21:7 -15



Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul.



And David said unto Ahimelech, And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? for I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste.



And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.



And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.



And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?





And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.



And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.



Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?



Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house?





Look at what fear cause a person to do that loves God but fears man.



David has already been anointed King, Saul has been rejected by God as King because of rejecting God's word.

David has already killed Goliath. David has already killed the ten thousands that he has faced in battle. "God is with him!"

He is a man after God's own heart, God said.



But now, because of the king that has been rejected by God , King Saul, who cannot stand to be rejected by people is full of jealousy and has murder in his heart toward David. David says in his heart that I must flee! Fear makes us run.



David in 1 Samuel 21:7 is being watched by Doeg the chief herdsman of Saul. Doeg sees David with Ahimelech the priest. He sees the priest give him bread, he sees David take Goliath's sword from the priest.



And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.



Just think about what this man that is after God's own heart is doing.

Fear has caused him to lie Ahimelech about why he is come to Nob.

He fears Doeg and ask for a sword because he said hewas in such haste to do the King's business that he didn't gird his sword.

He is given the sword of Goliath.(He has the enemys' sword)

And now for fear of Saul, he flees to Gath. (The enemy's hometown)



This sound like what most Christians do today. Instead of facing their problems and trusting in the Lord to deliver them and protect them, they run in fear and make all kinds of crazy decisions!

 "Are you making crazy decisions that don't make sense right now?"

"If it were not for the grace and mercy of God David would have been destroyed!"


And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: if thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here. And David said, There is none like that; give it me.


And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath. 1Samuel 21:10-11


David goes to Gath. (Not a good decision!)

He goes to the home of Goliath, their champion. David comes walking into the city carrying a sword that was familiar to the people there. The same sword he used to cut off Goliath's head! (And you think you're in the wrong place!)


"Fear will cause you to make crazy decisions!"


And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?


And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath. 1Samuel 21:12-13



"Fear for ones life will do strange things."


And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.



Then said Achish unto his servants, Lo, ye see the man is mad: wherefore then have ye brought him to me?


Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the mad man in my presence? shall this fellow come into my house? 1 Samuel 21:14-16



Have you ever said to yourself: "What am I doing here?" I'm sure was asking himself the same question! David truly loved God but fear of man had taken over David's sense. David thought: "I must be crazy for being here in the same townof my enemy, with the sword of the same enemy. David heard what they were saying. Is not this David the king of the land? Did not they sing one to another of him in dances?, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?



"Fear will cause a person to act like a nut!"


David acted like a crazy person because of fear.Fear will cause you to run, hide, lie, cause you to take up the sword of the enemy, go to the land of the enemy thinking there is protection there. When God says to you, "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord!"       David was acting like everything that he wasn't to preserve his life!

"There's a cave in Adullam waiting for David!"  But thank God, David hasn't lost his faith and trust in God.

What about you? Are you trusting the Lord or yourself?

Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Proverbs 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.



"There is no fear of man to those who trust the Lord."