David: Loyalty to God and the Strong Support of Friends • 1 Samuel 16-26

AI was not used to generate this post.

When you were facing a challenge in life, has God surrounded you with loyal friends to help you get through it? Do you consider those friends to be God’s army sent to support you? This is post #6 in the Old Testament Men blog series. In the last article, we examined what it means when we say that “God works it out for our good.” We looked at things to say and not to say when something bad happens to those we love. In this post, we will consider how loyalty to God and the strong support of friends help us to persevere through the trials of life.

Listen to this post as a similar podcast from our Profiles of Perseverance Bible Study covering the lives of Joseph, David, Elijah, and Nehemiah.

Loyalty to God Is Essential for Perseverance

David

David is probably one of the most famous Old Testament characters. At an early age, David knew and loved God. God also loved David. The Bible describes him as “a man after God’s own heart.”

But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command. (1 Samuel 13:14)

Like Joseph, David responded to whatever he had learned from his father and other mentors. As a teenager, he was anointed to be God’s chosen king. And like Joseph, the time between his anointing to his crowning took fourteen years of waiting and testing. Joseph waited thirteen years. As we read in 1 Samuel and some of the Psalms, this time of waiting for David also included a lot of praying as well as hiding. Before he faced his first challenge as future king, David had already made the pre-decision to worship and glorify God with his words and life. This is also similar to Joseph’s decision in the pit of his trials.

After God’s own heart

What made David a “man after God’s own heart?” Why was he so different? We know it wasn’t because he did not sin big time. One word that jumps out at me to describe David is “loyalty.” David was loyal to God.

Loyalty is “the quality of devotion or attachment to somebody or something.”

David was a loyal Yahweh follower for his entire life. He had single-minded devotion to God and the forsaking of all other gods. Future kings of Israel would be compared to him, especially in how David didn’t “turn from the law to the right or to the left” (Deuteronomy 17:20). The BIble says this about Josiah who was the last godly king of Judah,

“He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord and followed the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.” (2 Chronicles 34:2)

David became the standard for all kings because David pursued God—only God. Loyalty to God was in his very core. Any person after God’s own heart is a man, woman, boy, or girl who pursues God 100 percent.

In a previous article, we looked at how staying focused on Jesus is essential to perseverance. As a Christian, loyalty to our God is also essential to perseverance. And it affects the way you approach life. Joseph and David both understood that truth.

For more explanation of how to stay loyal to Jesus today, listen to the podcast, “Loyalty Affects How You Approach Life.”

Loyalty as devotion or attachment is both a feeling and an action. Some of us by nature tend to be loyal. Others of us are more skeptical, maybe preferring to be mavericks out on our own. But we all want friends, need friends, who stay loyal to us, especially as we go through trials of life. David understood this as well.

What’s Left When Our Props Are Removed?

After being anointed as Israel’s future king, David spent the next couple of years going back and forth between playing music for Saul and tending his father’s sheep. After the defeat of Goliath, David was thrust into warrior mode, leading Israel’s army into victorious battles against her enemies.

But King Saul became exceedingly jealous over David’s success and began a long campaign to wipe out David. David soon found himself on the run (1 Samuel 19-20). He had no comforts of home—not even knowing where he could lay his head the next day. All of his props of normal life were removed. Props are those things in life that give us support and take care of our needs.

Gracia Burnham’s story

Several years ago, I heard the story of Martin and Gracia Burnham. While serving as missionaries in the Philippines, the Burnhams were kidnapped and held hostage for more than a year by a group of religious radicals. They were on the move day and night to keep away from the Philippine military.

Gracia had only the clothes on her back without any shoes for hiking. When given a pair of holey boots to wear, she didn’t have a pair of socks to prevent the infiltrating sand from irritating her feet to the point of becoming raw flesh. No pillow, no mattress, no sleeping bag, or soft pad. At night, she just had rice sacks between her and all the creepy crawlies below her weary body.

Her props, even the few comforts associated with being a missionary in the jungles of Philippines, had been removed. And she realized that all she really had were her relationship with her God, her character to deal with the situation, and the presence of her loving husband beside her. Then, Martin was killed during their rescue. Her props had been removed.

When I heard Gracia’s story, I was struck by what she discovered about herself when all the “props of normal life” were removed. She said it wasn’t pretty.

My props

I feel like my walk with the Lord is a joyful one. He fills my heart with joy and gratitude for what He has done. My email signature even says, “Living joyfully, Melanie.” But, I have a roof over my head in a house we own. We can enjoy our house however we choose to enjoy it. When I am hungry, I open the fridge or pantry and grab something to eat whenever I choose to do so. If I don’t feel like cooking, we can drive five minutes, plop down some cash or a credit card, and order whatever we feel like eating that day. I live in the safety of America with law enforcement and 9-1-1 emergency help available at my call. Those are my props of normal life.

When props are removed

What would you and I be like if our props were removed as they were for Gracia? How would I react? What about you?

My husband ran a wilderness camping ministry for 20 years. During that time, I went on backpacking trips for a week at a time where I carried on my back the only props available to me for those days. But I was safe in an American wilderness, with food supplies and clothing that fit me. If in trouble, someone could have rescued me within hours or a day. Though physically hard, I still had my props. I probably whined a little. Okay, I whined a lot about sore muscles and cold nights making sleep difficult. But I remember staying pretty joyful. No one was threatening me with an AK-47 or a machete “guillotine.” At the end of the week, I knew I could have pizza and Dr Pepper at a restaurant and take a shower at a hotel.

Gracia didn’t have that on her yearlong hike. Her props were removed, and she discovered some ugliness about herself she didn’t know was even there.

I don’t know what would be revealed in my character if my props were removed. I hope I won’t have to face that in my lifetime. But I believe that God can produce his fruit in me, even in the worst situations.

David had all his props removed. His journal of psalms reveal how he felt at the time like this one:

Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack. My adversaries pursue me all day long; in their pride many are attacking me. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise—in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? (Psalm 56:1-4)

Through all the running and hiding, David continued to trust in his God along the way. He was confident in the Lord, “in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?”

God sent to him a gift of new props, even in the wilderness. What was that gift? The strong support of friends.

David’s Strong Support of Friends

Friend, family, prophet

While in Saul’s house, God gave David the gift of a friend—Saul’s son Jonathan. Jonathan warned David when Saul was on the warpath against him. Jonathan sacrificed his own time with David when he gave the message that David had to leave the king’s house. When David was hiding in the wilderness, Jonathan came and encouraged him in the Lord.

And Saul’s son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. (1 Samuel 23:16)

How about that for a friend?!

Not only Jonathan, but God also sent his prophets to give David direction about where to go next. David’s family came to him in the cave to be with him. But then he had to hide his parents from Saul, too, by taking them to Moab.

David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam. When his brothers and his father’s household heard about it, they went down to him there. …  From there David went to Mizpah in Moab and said to the king of Moab, “Would you let my father and mother come and stay with you until I learn what God will do for me?” So he left them with the king of Moab, and they stayed with him as long as David was in the stronghold. But the prophet Gad said to David, “Do not stay in the stronghold. Go into the land of Judah.” So David left and went to the forest of Hereth. (1 Samuel 22:1, 3-5)

Army of supporters

Then, God sent an army of supporters to surround David.

All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander. About four hundred men were with him. (1 Samuel 22:2)

That four hundred swelled to six hundred and more (1 Samuel 25:13). And many of those men stayed with David for years until Saul died, and David was crowned king. They surrounded David and gave him strong support.

Abigail

From 1 Samuel 25, we learn that Abigail was an intelligent and beautiful woman married to a surly and mean man in Judea who slandered David. Abigail recognized the danger to herself and her whole household and acted. She gathered a lot of food, traveled to David’s camp, humbled herself before David, and spoke to him with respect and wisdom. David’s response to her was this:

David said to Abigail, “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. (1 Samuel 25:32-33)

As a result, David spared Abigail’s foolish husband, all the servants in the household, and married Abigail. Abigail had a wise heart and used it to honor the Lord and His anointed choice for Israel’s king.

Read the blog, “Abigail • Having a Wise Heart.”

God used these people to help David “rest in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalm 91).

David’s Mighty Men

David as king became powerful because God was with him. And one of the ways God was with him was by sending strong, noble, and faithful men to surround David. That really jumped out at me.

In 1 Chronicles 11 and 12, the Bible refers to that group of supporters,

Now these are the heads of the mighty men whom David had, who remained faithful to him in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, in accordance with the word of the Lord concerning Israel. These constitute the list of David’s mighty men: (1 Chronicles 11:10-11 NAS)

“David’s Mighty Men.” I love that title! They were strong warriors who took their stand in the middle of the fray and defended their territory to bring victory. God sent those men to David. And while all these men were gathered together, the Spirit of the Lord spoke to David through their chief.

Then the Spirit came on Amasai, chief of the Thirty, and he said: “We are yours, O David! We are with you, O son of Jesse! Success, success to you, and success to those who help you, for your God will help you.” (1 Chronicles 12:18)

God-directed men and God-directed words. They were trustworthy people who put God first. Who wouldn’t want to be surrounded by friends who said those words to you on a regular basis?!

The Bible says that day after day, men came to help David, until he had a great army, like the army of God. And some had special discernment of what to do next.

from Issachar, men who understood the times and knew what Israel should do—200 chiefs, with all their relatives under their command; 1 Chronicles 12:32)

What a great feeling to have that kind of support!

Your Strong Support of Friends

If God sends godly people to surround you, that is in a sense being supported by the army of God.

Surrounded by God’s “army”

I have seen this happen at a recent women’s retreat. Women who were hurting and needing fresh support, even coming to the retreat alone and feeling alone beforehand, were completely surrounded by a whole army of women who said, “We are with you!” The lonely began feeling supported by God’s army of women. And I have seen evidence of that support continuing beyond the retreat. That creates a sense of joy in everyone involved—the needy ones and those coming alongside to support them. God works through people to support us.

We all need someone to have our backs. God does have our backs already as He goes before us, behind us, and all around us. David wrote that in Psalm 139:5. And God uses people to do that work for Him. He gives people to be our props.

Do not live life alone

God does not intend for us to live life alone. David’s great-great grandmother Naomi and great grandmother Ruth learned that truth in their lives.

Read the blog, “Naomi & Ruth • Life Should Not Be Lived Alone.”

So, surround yourself with other Christians who love the Lord. When a crisis hits, don’t quit church, don’t quit Bible studies, or don’t quit fellowshipping with your small group. Don’t pull back from the support God can give to you through people. Share your need with those who love the Lord and who will put a skip in your step with encouragement and support. Allow God to bless you through them.

I will add this, though. Avoid anyone who drains your emotional energy or encourages complaining and anger against God. That kind of person just sucks the joy right out of you.

If you are like David—a leader of a work team, a family, or a small group, make sure to ask God to surround you with people who will give your leadership strong support like David’s “Mighty Men” did. I thank you, God, for those people in my life!

Are You Ready for Perseverance in Your Life?

As the Bible promises,

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4 NASB)

We can have hope because we have God with us. So, remember our lane markers for the race.

1. Choose to persevere through every challenge.
2. Count on God’s promise to give you hope.
3. Let that hope sustain you through the rough-and-tumble of life.
4. Celebrate the joyful reward.

In the next post, we will see how God’s grace to David helped him to pick up the pieces and move forward when he made a horrendous mistake—or two.

Let Jesus satisfy your heart with hope as you persevere through everyday life.

David wrote several psalms during this difficult time in his life. Read Psalms 34, 56, and 57 for a sample. The refrain “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens” is in Psalm 57 and repeated in Psalm 108. Listen to these beautiful words in a song written years ago.

All of the above information is covered in the Profiles of Perseverance Bible Study covering the lives of Joseph, David, Elijah, and Nehemiah.

Related Resources:

• Old Testament Men blog series
• Simple Things to Know When Studying the Old Testament
• 1 Chronicles 10-21 • The Rewards of Living Life God’s Way
• Psalm 19 • God’s Revelation and our Response
• Naomi and Ruth • Life Should Not Be Lived Alone
• Acts 20 • Jesus as Lord Deserves Our Loyalty
• Abigail • Having a Wise Heart
• Rest in the Shadow of the Almighty

AI was not used to generate this post.