In a culture that celebrates retaliation, that says, “Don’t get mad—get even,” 1 Samuel 24 gives us a radically different picture. It shows us that mercy is not weakness, and that true strength is found in relying on God’s justice and timing more than our own instincts.

If someone was to ask you, how does God preserve his people? What would you say? What does God use in order to keep folks close to him even through the darkest times?

If you’re like me, your first thoughts are probably things like Bible studies, prayer, church attendance. I think God does use all of those things, but he’s certainly not limited by them.

There are probably a lot of ways to answer that question. I don’t necessarily think there is only one answer. I think God uses a whole host of different things to keep and preserve his people.

What about faithful friends? Would that be one of the first things that come to mind?

Isn’t that exactly what we just read about in our passage? As David sat, wallowing in his despair, God sent him a faithful friend to encourage him (vv. 15-16), remind him of God’s promises (vv. 17-18), and which gave him the strength to carry on (vv. 19-29).

The problem with this opinion-saturated world isn’t just noise—it’s confusion. In times of crisis, when we actually need clarity, the sheer volume of voices can become overwhelming. Where do you turn when you’re hurting? Who do you trust when life starts to unravel?

In 1 Samuel 23, David is facing a real crisis. He’s on the run, hunted by a paranoid king, trying to do what’s right but with no easy answers. And it’s in this wilderness moment—surrounded by uncertainty—that we see what true wisdom looks like: not following every voice, but seeking the voice that matters most.

At some point, I’m sure you have looked out at the world and thought that injustice, wickedness, and evil will prevail over what is good, and it’s in those moments we ask ourselves, where is God?  

But the truth is, God is not indifferent, distant, or passive about the injustice and evil that takes place in this world. God’s justice may not be immediate, but it is inevitable. He will work out all things for his glory and our good.

When we’re desperate, we don’t just need answers—we need peace, safety, and security. In a word, we need refuge. We need God to meet us in the fog, to slow us down, and to remind us that His truth still holds, even when we can’t see clearly.

Our passage reminds us of three things this morning: first, the world often promises false refuge (vv. 10-15), but it’s the Lord who provides true refuge (vv. 22:1-2), and it’s his truth that will guide our path (vv. 3-5).

The prominent English Puritan and theologian, Thomas Watson, wrote in his work, A Body of Divinity,

“When the prodigal son came home the father was glad, and made a feast to express his joy; so, God rejoices when a poor sinner comes in, and lays hold of his mercy. What an encouragement to believe in God! He is a God of pardons. Mercy pleases him.”

And just as the Lord mercifully provided for David, He mercifully provides for you and me.

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Doug Hart preach from Philippians 3:10-11.

This Sunday we had the privilege of having Rev. Doug Hart preach from Mark 16:1-8.

As we turn our attention 1 Samuel 20, the covenant between David and Jonathan takes center stage. Their story isn’t just about friendship—it’s about a covenant that is stronger than fear, deeper than politics, and more enduring than family pressure. When David was at his wit’s end, he relied on their covenant.

Despite all of Saul’s scheming, despite the overwhelming odds against David, despite the most hopeless of circumstances, God continually delivers David.

But our passage this morning reminds us of several things: First, we’re reminded that trials are inevitable (vv. 1-10), second, we’re reminded that God’s deliverance is certain (vv. 11-17), because, lastly, God is sovereign over all things (vv. 18-24).

The blessings we experience in life have been handed down to us from God. In fact, the blessings we experience in our lives are signs of God’s grace towards us more than the result of our own efforts.

James reminds us that “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” In our passage this morning we’re reminded that God’s hand of blessing protects (vv. 17-19), empowers (vv. 20-27), and grants us success (vv. 28-30).

Jealousy and envy are silent, deadly sins that consume you from the inside out, which is exactly what we see in our passage. Saul’s jealousy of David began as fear, turned into anger, which then led to attempted murder. If you’re taking notes, we’ll see that, first, jealousy distorts our perception (vv. 6-9), second, jealousy steals our peace (vv. 10-12), and lastly, jealousy separates us from God (vv. 12-16).

On Facebook, friendships are effortless, curated, and often shallow. You can have hundreds or even thousands of friends, yet still feel lonely. You can “like” a post without truly knowing the person behind it. And at any moment, with just one click, you can unfriend someone if they say something you don’t like.

But when we open Scripture, we find a radically different vision of friendship. Biblical friendship is not built on convenience, appearances, or mutual interests, rather it’s built on love, sacrifice, and commitment. Proverbs 17:17 says, “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” True friendship isn’t about how many people are in your circle—it’s about who is willing to walk with you through life’s highs and lows.

Isn’t that what we just read about Jonathan and David? Jonathan’s friendship with David wasn’t based on convenience because Jonathan was willing to risk everything for David. According to the Scriptures, true friendship is about sacrificial love and loyalty.

The story of David and Goliath should shape the way we think about spiritual warfare. It should shape the way we think about maintaining faithfulness in the midst of adversity. But more than anything, this story should shape the way we view, reflect, and understand the gospel itself. David’s victory over Goliath foreshadows Christ’s ultimate victory over sin, death, and Satan himself.

We must approach this famous story asking ourselves that very basic question: What does it tell us about God?

When you approach this passage that way, you’ll quickly realize that it tells us a lot about God. Just in the introduction to the story of David and Goliath we learn that God is displaying his strength, power, and superiority over any false gods that may lead us astray.

When passages are challenging like this one there is at times a temptation to chase rabbit trails while overlooking the overarching message. Despite the theological complexity of this particular passage, the overall message is quite straightforward: a life that rejects Jesus Christ and lives apart from his holy presence not only leads to spiritual emptiness, but can also lead to pain and suffering in this life.

At various times, we’ve all sized someone up, made assumptions about their character, only to learn that our assumptions were completely wrong.

We have a natural inclination to judge people based on outward appearances, but as our passage reminds us this morning – God does not judge people based upon their outward appearances, but upon their heart.

We’ll see three things this morning: first, man looks at outward appearance (vv. 1-6), second, God looks at the heart (v. 7), and lastly, we’re reminded that God often equips the overlooked (vv. 8-13).

Confession is a powerful thing—but only when it is genuine.

Many people believe that saying “I have sinned” is enough. They assume that if they admit their wrongdoing, everything is made right. But true repentance is more than words—it is a forsaking of sin, a turning of the heart towards Christ, and a sincere pursuit of obedience to Him.

Imagine a person who gives generously to the church, volunteers for every ministry, and sings loudly in worship—but at home, they neglect their family, harbor secret sin, and refuse to submit to God’s Word. From the outside, they seem devoted, but their heart is far from God.

This is exactly what we see in the life of King Saul in 1 Samuel 14:47–15:23. Saul was a man who started with great potential, yet he consistently failed where it mattered most: in obeying God.

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Legalism is the act of putting a human tradition in the place of God’s law and making obedience to that tradition the grounds of salvation.”

Saul bound everyone to his vow as if it came from the lips of God himself, and then he performed several religious acts in an attempt to earn favor with God. As interesting as it may sound, Saul too is a legalist.

Our passage teaches us three things about legalism: first, legalism places heavy burdens on God's people (vv. 24-30), second, legalism will drive you to sin (vv. 31-35), and lastly, legalism leads to division (vv. 36-46).