Distressed and Alone
I am going to speak of a time in David’s life that was extremely hard for him.
It was not that he had not been by himself before, keeping his father’s sheep.
David was one, in a family of eleven brothers.
After fighting Goliath, he was the darling of the whole nation.
He had the king’s son as his best friend, and married Saul’s daughter; both who were sympathetic to him, but refused his company when he ran….for in the time I am speaking of, he was running from Saul the king.
He was on his own. He could not go home, for fear of putting them in danger, no friends were with him, at this time. He was alone.
An outcast, by no fault of his own; but because Saul, the king, was jealous
I want to explain that when we have gotten into this place: we are not in our right mind…no I do not mean crazy…I mean that the depressed state of our minds gives us ideas, which are often injurious to ourselves and sometimes to others.
He first thinks to get something to defend himself (often our first thought). So he goes to get a sword…Goliath’s sword…..as though that would keep him.
1 Samuel 21:9 “And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod: it thou wilt take that, take it: for there is no other save that here.
And David said, There is none like that; give it me.”
It was held in the Tabernacle, and in getting it, he caused the priests to get in trouble with Saul; and to be killed. (1 Samuel 21:7, 22:11-23)
1 Samuel 21:10 “And David arose, and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.”
Then David “thinks”to go down to the Philistines!
David had killed their champion, and now he wants to hide out there?! Is that right?!
Thankfully, he hears them talking about him, and realizes his danger….
1 Samuel 21:13 “And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.”
That tricks them, and he gets away. How gracious our God is!
1 Samuel 22:1 “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam:…”
God knew the danger, yet allowed David to go….so far, before He woke him up to reality….
Psalm 142:1-3 “I cried unto the Lord with my voice; with my voice unto the Lord did I make supplication.
I poured out my complaint before Him; I showed before Him my trouble.
When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.”
David ran to a cave he knew…and hid.
Like David, we often aggravate our trouble by talking to ourselves about it.
Trying to figure out a solution…and with ourselves as our councilor, we can lead ourselves astray.
But when David gets to the cave; he “cries”….the emphasis on the voice twice suggests this was out loud in the cave…
….but this time, to the Lord.
Psalms 142:4 “I looked on my right hand, and behold, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.”
Jonathan, his best friend, encouraged him….but refused to join in his trouble. (1 Samuel 20:42)
His wife, helped him escape a murder-plot against him, but refused to join him; and ended up blaming David, to escape her being in trouble.(1 Samuel 19:17)
(There was a time in my life, when I was surrounded by family; I was working, so I got up every morning, went to bed every night. But…I was “distressed and alone”.
I was saved…a Christian. But I had allowed a grievance to come between me and the Lord.
This was not the usual feeling….no, it was hard to keep going. I felt an emptiness I could not explain. I was alone in a way I had never felt before.
Yes, the Lord got me out of it….but in this time no one was my companion, no one understood.
It is hard, even now, to explain the emptiness I felt. The Lord had not left me,….. yet His sensible presence I had felt since I was born again, was not there.
The days seemed, at the same time, to be exceedingly long; and yet to be here and gone.
I was helped out of it, by the Lord sending His Word to me, through a message preached.
It was on the disciples in the storm in the Sea of Galilee. The words were, “Jesus had not said, “Go out in the middle of the lake and drown.
No, He had said, “Let us cross over.”
Wow! It was like the clouds had dispersed, and the sun came out. I saw….both my self-pity, and the Lord’s mercy. And I knew He would not let me “drown”, but was calling me to “cross over” this.
What a wonderful Lord we have.)
Psalms 142:5 “I cried unto Thee, O Lord; I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.”
2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.”
A sword is a good thing; and friends are valuable….but David saw (and we, too, should see this) that God was his need, and his supply.
Psalm 142:7 “Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy name:…”
By the end of his psalm (and how long he prayed or stayed alone, it does not say) he was encouraged by the Lord.
David stops asking…and expresses his confidence in the Lord’s goodness toward him.
Psalm 142:7 “…the righteous shall compass me about; for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me.”
Abundant grace was what he was asking for; and what he got.
1 Samuel 22:1-2 “David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.
And everyone that was in distress, and everyone that was in debt, and everyone that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.”
There were a few years ahead where he was an outcast; but God would bring him to the throne of Israel, as He had anointed him to be.
God is the God of all comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3)
John 14:16-18 “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever.
Even the Spirit of Truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it receiveth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave you comfortless: I will come unto you.”
Paul wrote of a time:
2 Corinthians 7:5-6 “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.
Nevertheless God that comforteth those that are cast down, comforteth us by the coming of Titus;”
Comfort means “to call near”, to give solace: joy instead of loneliness, and peace instead of distress.
This He wants, and will give to all of us.
2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 “Now our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.”
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 