If I get myself into a mess I have at times spiralled down rather than pull myself out of it. I can resist help, not listen to friends’ words and can convince myself that my unrighteous ways are very honourable. Of course everyone else is wrong!

We are in 1 Samuel 21. David is going through a very bad patch. He has run away, he is anxious, he is fearful, he has spent nights in the open air, he is tired and hungry. He cannot understand what is going on.

He arrives in a place called Nob where Ahimelech the priest lives.

Ahimelech wants to know why David has come.

And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 1 Samuel 21:2

This is a whopping lie. David can’t admit the truth that he is in a terrible place. Church cannot be the place of the plastic smile and “fine thank you” anymore it’s time to put this one right. God has given us an opportunity in these days of change to rewrite relationships, how about starting with this one.

David is very hungry and asks for food (vs3). The only food that is available is in the priest’s sanctuary. Now he breaks their strict rules about eating the holy bread. (Jesus would deal with this issue later).

Another lie occurs when asked if his men are ceremonially pure. Yes of course they are. He lies again they are not on a secret mission for Saul but are running away from Saul.

David tells more lies in vs 8&9 to persuade Ahimelech to give him a sword. Was this the same man who said,

Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 1 Samuel 17:45

When we are in a mess and our relationship with God seems to be gone we do lose our perspective and it’s at these times we almost have to give permission to our friends to speak the truth in love. Who does that for you? It’s good to remind ourselves what God has done in the past to help our perspective.

In desperation David goes to Gath one of the Philistine towns. Saul will not go there! But he is recognised, so what does he do? He covers up his mess (how many of us cover up our mess?) I know; I have a great idea, I will feign madness. (vs10-15) See how our thinking goes when we are under pressure.

So why was this happening? Why has he forgotten what God said and did? Why was he lying and acting in a way that was degrading? Before we all criticise, let’s remember to take the plank out of our own eye first.

This is my best shot at trying to understand what is going on when we spiral down away from God.

David when he is king will be able to empathise with his people, we see this in the Psalms. He understands because he has been there. He has walked through the valley of the shadow of death.

His endurance and patience will have been proved.

His will revel in God’s Grace. David will never forget that after disgracing himself, lying and cheating that God did not abandon him. David would write in Psalm 103 he does not treat us as our sins deserve.

He understands that God is his deliverer. When we are at our wits end, when we have let God down badly, when we have let our friends and family down, God is still our deliverer.  He will rescue. David wrote this because he knew it to be true.

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18:1-2