Trust is an important part in any relationship. Faithfulness builds trust. Prudence builds trust. Communication builds trust. Loyalty builds trust. Experience builds trust. True change can heal broken trust.

God is absolutely trustworthy in every way. He always does right. He is always faithful. He always knows what is best for every situation. Both the Bible examples and experience build our trust in God.

Transition

This evening we are going to look at three situations when trust was lacking. From each situation, we can learn valuable lessons.

David Lacked Trust in God (1Sa 27)

  1. David went to the enemy for protection (27:1-7)
    1. He did not trust the Lord to meet his needs. God had been faithful to him. God had protected him several times.
    2. It does not appear that he prayed. Failure to pray before making a major decision is a BIG mistake. We need God’s wisdom.
    3. He went to Gath again for protection. He did not learn from his first foolish visit to Gath when he had to play the madman to save his life (1Sa 21:10-15).
    4. Achish gave him the town of Ziklag in which to live (27:6)
    5. He stayed in Philistine territory for 16 months (27:7).
  2. David lied about his activities (27:8-12)
    1. He raided towns to the south and killed everyone (27:9, 11).
    2. He lied to Achish saying he fought against Judah (27:10).
    3. Because David lacked trust in God, he went to live with Israel’s enemies. God had not been unfaithful. Evidently, David began looking around instead of looking up. He listened to peers instead of seeking the Lord’s guidance. The evil influence of living among the ungodly made it easier for him to lie to hide his actions.
      ☆ Any time that we get our eyes off the Lord and on our circumstances, we will lack trust in God and make bad decisions. Bad decisions are like eating chips; one leads to another and another.
      ☆ (Proverbs 29:25) “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.”
      ☆ (Proverbs 3:5-6) “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Saul Lacked Trust in God (1Sa 28)

  1. Saul was afraid of the Philistines (28:3-6)
    1. Because of his disobedience, the Holy Spirit was no longer with him. (Remember, in the OT the Holy Spirit came upon select individuals for special purposes for a limited time.)
      1. Saul had lacked trust in God when he disobeyed God in not destroying all the Amalekites (1Sa 15:19).
      2. He had never truly repented of his sin. Instead, he just made excuses and blamed others.
      3. Repentance is a change of heart and mind. Repentance is a key to forgiveness.
        ☆ (Proverbs 28:13) “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”
    2. Samuel was dead, so there was no strong spiritual leader in Israel.
    3. Saul was afraid of the gathering Philistine army (28:5).
    4. He tried to seek God’s direction, but the Lord would not answer him (28:6).
      1. He had never gotten right with God. He had not been daily walking with the Lord. Now he needed God’s help but the Lord refused to help.
      2. God is not a magic genie in a bottle that we can ignore most of the time but call on in time of need. God is the sovereign of the universe who requires our submission and desires our daily fellowship.
        ☆ (Proverbs 15:8-9) “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD: but the prayer of the upright is his delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD: but he loveth him that followeth after righteousness.”
        ☆ Like Saul, we will lack trust in God if we are not walking close to the Lord. Sin keeps us from fellowship with God. Sin blocks our prayers. Sin will also lead us into more foolish and sinful choices just as it did Saul.
        ☆ (Proverbs 14:34) “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
  2. Saul foolishly sought help from a witch (28:7-25)
    1. He disguised himself as a common person (28:8).
    2. He asked the witch to bring up Samuel (28:11).
    3. When she saw Samuel, she cried out loudly. Somehow, she realized that Saul had deceived her.
    4. Did she really bring up Samuel’s spirit from the dead?
      1. The Bible says it was Samuel. God gives us no details as to how this took place. The message Samuel gave Saul does not sound like one that Satan would give if he was impersonating Samuel. Witches, controlled by the devil, have great power.
      2. One thing we do know for sure is that asking the witch to talk to the dead was an evil thing to do. (1 Chronicles 10:13) “So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it;” (Leviticus 20:27) “A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.”
    5. The message Saul heard was not good (28:16-19).
      1. God’s Spirit had departed from Saul.
      2. The kingdom would be given to David because Saul had disobeyed God.
      3. The next day Saul would die.
      4. Though the message was true, the method was evil!
        ☆ As Christians, we must have nothing to do with witchcraft including fortune telling, tarot cards, and astrology. God hates the occult. No Christian can dabble in the occult without facing God’s severe chastening.

Philistines Lacked Trust in David (1Sa 29)

  1. The Philistine princes distrusted David
    1. They did not like the idea of this Israelite band joining their forces (29:3).
    2. They remembered David’s past popularity (29:5).
  2. Achish sent David back to Ziklag
    1. He trusted David because he believed David’s lies (29:6).
    2. David further supports the lies he had told (29:8).
    3. If David had separated himself from the ungodly, trusted the Lord, and lived honestly, he would not have had to hide behind all these lies and deceit.
      ☆ God frequently warns us to separate from the world and live godly lives. Our flesh tends to dislike separation, but such warnings are for our good. God knows that our environment is a powerful influence.
      ☆ (1 John 2:15) “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
      ☆ (Proverbs 13:20) “He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.”
      ☆ (1 Corinthians 15:33) “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.”
      ☆ (Galatians 5:9) “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.”

Conclusion

God wants us to trust Him fully and He also wants us to live lives that are trustworthy. David failed in both of these. The good thing about David is that he did not stay in sin. He got out, got right with God, and went on to do right.

If you have not been trusting God and making decisions based on God’s wisdom, it is time to change. If you have not been living a trustworthy life, that too must change. If you will separate from the ungodly and stop loving the world, you will become a more trustworthy person. If you have been tempted to dabble in the occult, flee that temptation like a deadly snake. God tells us all we need to know about the future in the Bible.

Song: Trust and Obey 261
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When Trust is Lacking
23 August 2015 PM – 1 Samuel 27-29 – Life of David – Scott Childs