David gives us an amazing example of courage. He gives us amazing examples to follow in many ways,

but then he also shows us a very solemn warning for each one of us in our lives.

While he taught us that a willing heart, God uses a courageous life, God honors, that God totally protects us when we are focused on him first and foremost.

And yet here today, that Sam David teaches us that defeat comes to any of us and all of us

when we allow the flesh to dominate.

Fleeing takes over when self-pity sits in.

Running away in failure takes over when you take your eyes of the living God.

David runs off to the prophet Samuel first. The Lord's prophet, you remember from the very first

message, whom God sent to the house of Jesse and said, anoint for me, David, that very prophet. He goes there because David,

at this moment in his life, needed human encouragement. And, beloved, listen to me. All of us

need human encouragement. We all need it. But Saul tracks David to where Samuel was. First of all, he sent

his servants. He said, you go kill him. But God protects him. You see, I told you, when you're in

God's protection program, nobody can touch you. Nobody can harm you. Because David was in God's

protection program, these servants come in

and they get into an ecstatic trance. And so when Saul basically said, these rascals, they don't

know how to kill him, I'll kill him. So he shows up in person. He too gets caught in that

ecstatic trance. What is God doing? He's protecting David. He's protecting him.

When you are in your fleeing mode, and I'm not talking about physically, when you are spiritually

in a fleeing mode, God might be doing amazing things all around you for you. He is doing these great things to assure you that you are in his

protection program, but because you are in a fleeing mode, you're oblivious to what God is doing.

I've been there. I know what I'm talking about.

You oblivious to it.

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