All of that shows us a very self-evident truth that bad things happen to good people. That suffering is not a measure of goodness or godliness. That it's not like some cosmic karma that happens. Like, boy, a lot of bad stuff happened to that family. It must mean they're doing bad things.
That's not always the case. In fact, Jesus put it this way. God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Many people struggle with the question, why do bad things happen to good people? Today on Connect with Skip Heideck, Skip looks at the lives of two people who had to deal with haters, reminding you that God has a good plan for you, even when others work against you. Now we want to share about an exciting resource that answers your questions about God as you explore who he truly is. The best biographies make you feel like you personally intimately know the person you've read about, from Mozart to Mother Teresa, Sojourner Truth to Steve Jobs. It's exciting to learn the details of influential people, but one biography stands out above the rest, the biography of God.
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Call 800-922-1888 or give online securely at connectwithskip.com slash offer. Now we're in 1 Samuel chapter 23 as we dive into the teaching with Skip Heideck. Imagine what it would be like to believe God called you to the mission field, take your family there, and then have happen a series of events. Well, I'm going to read it to you.
It's from a friend of mine who did just that. He moved to the Philippines with his family. He believed God called them to be missionaries.
I believe God did call them to be missionaries there, but he says this, Dear Skip, I penned this letter in the midst of turmoil. The Philippines right now is facing one of the most difficult times I have ever seen since being here. The inflation rate has just hit 13 percent. This has caused great difficulty for all of us. There have also been major problems with the electrical power that we and we are experiencing two hour blackouts twice a day. This is expected to continue.
Manila is also engulfed in a transportation crisis. Then, this morning, we were awoken by the gunfire of another coup attempt. Getting up, I watched from my daughter Anna's bedroom window as two World War II-era planes dropped bombs on Channel 4 TV. Even now, as I write this, I can hear gunfire. Personally, we have also had major trials and attacks from the enemy. Diana and Anna both contracted an amoebic parasite and needed ten days of treatment. The landlord raised our rent.
Caleb, our dog, was diagnosed with heart worms, and a burglar got into our yard and tried to steal the car. He did not succeed, but he caused some damage before he left. Now, if you spend the money and the energy to go to a foreign field and then have one bad thing happen after another, at some point you've got to question, do we make the right move?
Right? Now listen to how he ends this letter. Yet, even when faced with an uncertain future, I am realizing the truth of Philippians 4.7 that says, the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. In fact, he says, in fact, I feel guilty for feeling so peaceful when many of the people around are panic-stricken. No matter what happens, there is no greater peace or joy than to be in God's will. Even in the face of uncertainty, there is an excitement and an expectation of what God is going to do. How's that for a letter of encouragement?
Every time I read this, I get convicted. Which leads me to a question. How do you view your life? How do you see the reality of things that unfold around you, good or bad?
How do you view them? The real question is, what is your world view? You know, everybody has a world view, how you view the world. And we put a lens on, every time something happens around us, we read a news story, we hear a report, we experience good or bad, we are viewing those events through a lens, our world view. Now the Bible, when you read it, has a very distinct world view.
It gives you a very unique lens. And the biblical world view, in a nutshell, is this, that everything was created by God, that mankind made really bad first choices that caused disastrous results, that those results have lingered on in every generation, bringing death, physically, morally and spiritually, that God's plan was to let those results play out for thousands of years, while at the same time staging a rescue operation that would take care first of the sin problem, and eventually he would return to rule over a restored creation with those that he was sent to save. That's a biblical world view in a nutshell. Now, if you do not have that world view, if that is not your perception of things, then most of life is not going to make sense. In fact, what happens around you is going to seem very haphazard, very random, very arbitrary, cruel, and you'll be very lonely.
If that is your world view, life is still going to sting, it's still going to hurt, it will still be hard, but it's going to be much clearer and more satisfying. And all of that can be boiled down to two words that we are considering in a series, but God. We're going to be looking at how the Bible presents that reality.
And every time it does, it puts that lens back on. This is how to view your life. No matter what happens up to that point, but God changes everything. So we're looking at 1 Samuel 23. I'm going to begin around verse 13 or 14.
And what I'm going to do, what I've done, is come up with four statements, four axiomatic statements, or self-evident statements, self-clarifying statements that emerge from the text that we're reading. And the first one is a very simple one I think we would all agree with, bad things happen to good people. You know, it would be wonderful if it was like, bad things only happen to bad people. Good things only happen to good people. But it's not that cut and dry.
Bad things happen to good people. Let's see what happened to David. 1 Samuel 23 verse 13 is the end of a previous paragraph, but let's connect them. So David and his men, about 600, arose and departed from Keilah, a little town on the border with the Philistines, and went wherever they could go. Then it was told, Saul, that David had escaped from Keilah, so he halted the expedition.
And David stayed in the strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. So David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life, that is, to kill him. And David was in the wilderness of Ziph, in a forest. Then Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David in the woods, and strengthened his hand in God. And he said to him, Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you. Even my father Saul knows that. So the two of them made a covenant before the Lord, and David stayed in the woods, and Jonathan went to his own house.
All right. This is David we're talking about. This is the guy of whom it is said he was a man after God's own heart. This is David. This is the future king of Israel.
This is the ancestor of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. This is David. This isn't Cain. This isn't Saul. It's not Haman. It's not Judas. It's not Herod the Great. It is David, the central figure in God's plan of redemptive history at this particular time in history. And yet he is suffering. He's being chased and hunted.
His life is in danger. And all of that shows us a very self-evident truth that bad things happen to good people, that suffering is not a measure of goodness or godliness, that it's not like some cosmic karma that happens. It's like, boy, a lot of bad stuff happened to that family. It must mean they're doing bad things.
That's not always the case. In fact, Jesus put it this way. God causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. What we are seeing here play out is the effect of a very jealous king named Saul, jealous of David, jealous of David's calling, jealous of David's capabilities, forcing David to flee and live for years, in fact, some believe up to a decade, as a refugee. So the language here, the names that are mentioned, the places that are mentioned here in the text, are somewhere in the region between the hill country of Judea and the Dead Sea region. There's a lot of ravines, a lot of rocks and caves, places to hide, and that's where David is. You probably know this, but some of the psalms that are written in the book of Psalms, written by David, were written during this period of time, this decade of time while he was fleeing and he was suffering. And they're very moving psalms. One of them is Psalm 63 that we believe could have been written during this time, and it's because the very top of the psalm says this, a psalm of David when he was in the wilderness of Judah.
That's probably this time. Now, that's a psalm you're familiar with. He says, O God, You are my God. Early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You. My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary to behold Your power and Your glory, because Your loving kindness is better than life. My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live.
I lift up my hands in Your name. It's the story, it's the psalm of somebody longing to go back to the central sanctuary, worshiping with his people, but is forced to be out in the dry desert areas as a refugee because his life is in danger. Question. What did David do to invite this kind of mistreatment from King Saul?
Answer, absolutely nothing. He didn't do anything bad to Saul. He didn't say bad things about him. He didn't try to stay jakku to take over. He was faithful, he was diligent, he was obedient. He did everything the king wanted him to do. He took care of some of Israel's enemies.
And yet this. In fact, he brings this point up in another psalm. Psalm 59, certainly written during this period, when David writes, the mighty, that is Saul and his armies, the mighty gather against me, not for my transgressions, nor for my sin, O Lord.
They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine. David is not saying that he is sinlessly perfect. He is just saying, I am not suffering because of my sin. I didn't bring this on because of my sin or my disobedience. So, sometimes bad things happen and there is no direct cause and effect correlation.
Bad things happen to good people. Now you know when this all started, is when David, just a kid, just a shepherd boy, goes to the front lines of the battle and sees this big lug of a Philistine named Goliath and he defeats him, right? David kills Goliath.
That's a story we're all familiar with. Well, after that battle is done and everybody's going home, King Saul is going home with his army and as he's going back home, Saul leading his armies after David got the victory, the people of Israel meet the armies and they're singing and they're dancing and they're partying and the Bible says the women are singing a song. And here's the lyrics. Saul has slain his thousands and David has slain his tens of thousands. Now first of all, the women were singing that song, which didn't go over well with a very egocentric King Saul and apparently everybody knew the lyrics to the song because everybody was singing it and it hit the top of the charts. And his name is in the song, but it's compared to David who has slain his tens of thousands. So he gets all in a huff and decides to get very jealous of David, saying, well, what more can he have but the kingdom? So from that moment on, the Bible says, a jealous eye was cast toward David. A couple chapters later, when David is in Saul's presence, Saul grabs his spear and throws it, trying to pin the spear on the musician, but he ducks, David leaves the room. And so Saul comes up with another plan. I've got to get rid of this kid, I'm jealous of him.
And it says that he said, I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to give David my enemy that I want to kill. I'm going to give David my daughter that she may become a snare to him. How would you like to be the daughter of that creepy king?
Using you as a pawn to kill somebody he doesn't like. Well, long story short, while they are together, they're married, they're in the same house, Saul seeks to kill him, David escapes once again. Now, from that moment on, for all of these years, David is suffering as a refugee hunted by the king. And it's probably the lowest moment in David's life, as expressed in some of those Psalms that I mentioned. But I've got to tell you something, I'm going to make a confession to you. It's going to sound a little cruel, but I'm so glad that David suffered.
And I bet you are too. Because out of that suffering was produced all of those magnificent Psalms, many of them, that when we read bring encouragement to us. And you read them and go, David went through that?
Right? That very deep stuff that still ministers to millions of hearts around the world. The music of the sanctuary is often forged in the trials of the saints. We benefit from it.
Spurgeon said, God gets his best soldiers out of the highlands of affliction. Now, I'm bringing this up as a first major point. Because sometimes if you listen to some believers, you get the idea that they're saying, well, once you come to Christ, all your problems go away. Now, is that true?
Well, in one sense it's true. Your biggest problem goes away. You're not going to hell. That's a big problem. And that's your biggest problem. That goes away. But you get a whole bunch of new problems. You now have a target on your back and all the minions of hell and Satan himself will target you.
Oh yes, you still have victory. God gives you incredible promises to get through that and be overcomers. But that does not mean life is a downhill slide from that point on. Good things happen to bad people. I want to lead you to a second truth that is self-evident in our story. Not only bad things happen to good people, but bad people can't stop a good God. Bad people can't stop a good God. Now we come to the very crux of this passage in verse 14. Second sentence, second part of verse 14.
Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hands. Now those two words change the story. Those two words pull back the curtain of God's providential care. As James Montgomery Boice said, if you understand those two words, but God, they will save your soul.
If you recall them daily and live by them, they will transform your life completely. Verse 14, these two words introduce us to the truth that there is a divine, sovereign hand ruling the universe. So that even though bad things happen to good people, even though bad things happen to God's good people, it's not the end of the story. The story continues, but God. When you have a supreme, all-powerful, universal ruler, malicious plans won't succeed.
Let me restate that. When you have a supreme, all-powerful, universal ruler, malicious plans won't always succeed. Sometimes they do succeed.
In fact, in this case, they did succeed for a while. How long did I say David was running from Saul? Ten years. Ten years of suffering. Ten years as a refugee. Ten years living away from his home.
Ten years in caves. All because of this madman, this crazy, jealous king. God allowed that to happen. But Saul was only allowed to go so far and no further.
He was allowed to display that maniacal, crazy behavior only up to a point. And then God stepped in. And when did God step in? When it served God's purpose. So all of this was allowed to happen, but when it didn't serve God's purpose, it stopped.
Maybe your wheels are spinning. You're going, what do you mean, served God's purpose? Are you telling me that it served God's purpose for David to suffer ten years? Uh-huh. Sad to say, but yes. It served God's purpose for David to suffer ten years.
Why? Well, I think you know the answer to that question. I think you know that suffering can sometimes be beneficial, in fact, very beneficial to the life of a believer. If we were to have testimony time and you were going to tell me your story or stories, I bet several of you would say something like, it was a dark time, it was a very dismal time, I was so discouraged, I didn't see any way out, but then this is what happened. This is what I learned. This is why I'm better because of it.
Spurgeon, once again, he said so many good things. He said, the hardest-hearted, most unlovely Christians in all the world are those who have never had much trouble. And those who are the most sympathizing, loving, and Christ-like are those that have suffered the most affliction. The worst thing that can happen to any of us is to have our path made too smooth.
That's amazing. The worst thing that can happen to any of us is to have our path made too smooth. But, here's the good news, there is a limit. There is a limit.
And the limit is when it violates God's purpose. Now, what's God's purpose for David? He's going to be the next what? King. So for him to be the next king, he has to live, not die. That's why we read, Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hands. So, up to a point, this guy is crazy and maniacal, but God wouldn't allow that to happen.
That's the difference. That's Skip Heiseck with a message from the series, But God. Now we want to share about a special opportunity you have to take your knowledge of the Bible to a deeper level. Calvary College is now open for registration. Calvary College is offering select online classes as an opportunity for individuals to take their life's calling to a whole new level with an educational emphasis in Biblical studies. With our unique partnerships with Veritas International University and Calvary Chapel University, you will have the opportunity to obtain your bachelor's or master's degree with complete online programs. Whether you're looking to obtain an accredited online degree or take individual courses to become better equipped in your knowledge of God's unchangeable truth, Calvary College has you covered with a range of opportunities. For updates on classes and registration information for Calvary College, please visit calvaryabq.college. That's calvaryabq.college. For Calvary College, calvaryabq.college. Here at Connect with Skip Heitzig, we get to hear incredible stories about how God is encouraging people, not just around the block, but around the world.
And it's thanks to you. When you give generously to this ministry, you're helping connect so many listeners to the gospel of Jesus, and you keep these messages you love on the air. Please consider giving a gift today. Just call 800-922-1888. That's 800-922-1888. Or visit connectwithskip.com slash donate. That's connectwithskip.com slash donate.
Thank you. Tune in tomorrow as Skip Heitzig shares why it's vital for you to have the right friends in bad times. That's why at times like that, you need friends like this. Every David needs his Jonathan.
Every discouraged person needs his encourager. Make a connection. Make a connection at the foot of the crossing. Cast all burdens on his word. Make a connection. A connection. Connect with Skip Heitzig is a presentation of Connection Communications, connecting you to God's never-changing truth in ever-changing times.
Whisper: medium.en / 2024-01-07 12:10:28 / 2024-01-07 12:19:52 / 9