running to God

Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth.
1 Samuel 19:18

David was running for his life from the undeserved anger of Saul. And the first place he runs is to Samuel, the prophet and priest of God. David's intuitive move is to run to the place where God's protection would be clear. To do anything else would be to take his life in his own hands. But to run to Samuel clearly showed where David's heart was centered.

David is running to God while Saul is running from God. This is quite a contrast. David finds refuge, help, and understanding with Samuel. Together they both go to Naioth with a company of prophets. It is there that God protects David and affirms him, even as He sovereignly and comically chastises Saul. David runs to God. Saul is running from God. The two of them meet at Naioth.

There in the company of Samuel and the prophets David is safe. And it is there in the company of prophets that Saul is humbled by God. First, Saul sends three different companies of men to apprehend David. It is no secret that David is with Samuel. All three companies of men are "overcome" by the Spirit of God and join the prophets in prophesying, failing to capture David. Finally, Saul himself goes into Naioth to capture David, only to have the Spirit of God overpower him, and over the course of a day and night, is driven by God in a prophetic fervor, literally stripped of all he had, even his robes. God is sending a message to Saul of His sovereign control. And God is confirming David.

So this is an interesting comparison. We are shown the joys of running to God when in trouble. We are warned of the dangers of running from God. And we see that God can do anything He wants, even with the person most interested in defying Him. So in end, nobody ever outruns the long arm of the Lord!


- Prepare your minds for action.
1 Peter 1:13