2 Samuel 15:14: “So David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, ‘Arise, and let us flee, or we shall not escape from Absalom. Make haste to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring disaster upon us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.’”

June 24th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

This was a low point in King David’s life. Because of his sin with Bathsheba, his family was being torn apart by internal jealousies. His son Absalom, who was charming and handsome, had won the hearts of Israel and led a rebellion against David’s throne. David knew Absalom was ruthless. So in order to avoid bloodshed with his son and prevent civil war in the streets of Jerusalem, he was forced to flee the capital and wait out the crisis across the Jordan River.

David’s escape from Absalom was documented in Psalm 3, which closes “Salvation belongs to the LORD. / Your blessing is upon Your people. / Selah.” Even though David was in the desert and everything was falling down around him, he was able to quiet himself there and write and sing a song to the Lord. David’s retreat is an interesting one that we can learn from and apply to our own lives when we find ourselves in difficult circumstances. Even though our initial response to an attack is to defend ourselves, it is never the correct response. When disaster strikes, when the bottom falls out of life, when it seems everything is coming apart, the first thing we should do is stop, retreat toward a quiet part of the desert, and sing a song to the Lord. And then listen for His answer.

“LORD, help us not to react to attacks today by defending ourselves, but instead by retreating to a quiet place and waiting on You. We want You to be God in our lives today.”