Friday, October 7, 2011

God Is In Control

David didn’t leave one person alive in the villages he attacked. He took the sheep, cattle, donkeys, camels, and clothing before returning home to see King Achish. -- 1 Samuel 27:9

We don’t think too much of King David as murderer. Oh, sometimes we remember that he sent Bathsheba’s husband to the front lines of war to make sure he died. Maybe we excuse that because he married Bathsheba, their baby died as punishment, and they later had a son, Solomon, who became a wise king. But murderer? We don’t use that term to describe David.

During this passage of Scripture, David went to live with the Philistines to get away from Saul. God didn’t sent him there. David was just tired and afraid. He was running away. Most of us can relate to that. At some point, we all run away from something. Sure you do. It doesn’t have to be physically moving in the opposite direction. Avoidance counts as another way of running away.

Beth Moore brings up an interesting point in her study on David. She suggests that he killed all the people in the towns he raided not just to keep them from talking but because he needed to feel like he had some control over his life. He couldn’t kill Saul because the king was God’s anointed. And he couldn’t kill his enemies the Philistines because he needed to live in their country for safety. So he killed the people in the towns he raided.

Lack of control causes us to do quite a few things that can seem out of character. Someone who isn’t in control in her marriage, might exert extreme control over her children. A man who is a lowly employee may need to rule his family with a iron hand. We humans need to have control over something. Don’t we?

But what happens when we don’t have something to control? We lash out at someone or something. Really. Even you. Ever yelled at the dog because someone else did something you didn’t like? Ever lashed out at your child because your boss made you mad? Most of us have gotten upset with the wrong person because we just needed to get all that anger and frustration out of us. Because feeling out of control is scary and unnerving and we don’t want to be in that place.

Except we’re never in control of anything. Thing about it. God is the only one with complete control. Really. Everything else is just illusion and fantasy. It’s why some days I start with a plan and, at the end of the day, nothing I planned came to be. You probably know exactly what I’m talking about.

David’s real issue, though, wasn’t about control. It was about trust. David didn’t trust God to keep him safe from Saul. I understand that too. God waited 15 years to end Saul’s life. But God didn’t abandon David during that time. Instead, God allowed David to mature and learn how to be a king.

So next time you’re tempted to lash out or take extreme control in a situation, don’t. God knows what He’s doing. Look around. Seek His wisdom and His lesson. He’s with you and don’t ever doubt that God is in control.