1 Samuel 20
GO IN PEACE
1 Samuel 20:1-42
King Saul was determined to kill David. Due to his own disobedience, God revoked the kingdom from Saul. When Saul realized that David was God's chosen to take his place, Saul began to resent David. Saul's repeated, attempted murder caused much strife within David and even with Saul's own son, Jonathan. David was innocent, and had only ever helped and cared about Saul, his family and the kingdom. He did not deserve to be targeted for murder; he did not deserve to be forced into exile. Nevertheless, Saul's ruthless pursuit made it necessary.
While at dinner, King Saul inquired after David's absence. When he found out that David had been allowed out of his sight, he raged! He even attempted to kill Jonathan, his son. Jonathan then, passed a message on to David: he must flee, permanently. Jonathan and David, who loved each other as deeply as brothers, said their goodbyes. Jonathan told David to "go in peace."
We are sometimes reluctant to leave situations, opportunities, or relationships. We resist and resent the circumstances that do not seem fair to us. But we can learn from Jonathan and David here to go in peace, to accept that God will move us around the board, so-to-speak, to ultimately put us in the position we need to be in to triumph. A step backward or sideways is actually a step forward when God determines it is necessary. It was not an easy decision, David had to leave his whole life behind, his family, and seemingly, all of the progress he had made in life.
As we will see, David is about to enter the most crucial stage of his life. In the wilderness, in flight from Saul, David will strengthen and hone the faith that made him central to the Bible. The faith that will rescue Israel from the faithless king before him, the faith that will invite God to protect Israel from the masses of enemies around it.
Our crucial stage in life is within our own wilderness, too. Under the pressure of injustice, grief, or whatever our struggle is, is where we build the faith to follow God out of it. We mine resources in that place with faith as our pickaxe and we leave it with refined material, the character and faith that we need to reach God's highest potential for us. But we have to be willing to go in peace, to leave the situation, opportunity or relationship that just is not meant to be.
If God wanted David to remain in the kingdom at that time, nothing could have forced him out. Trust that God will not allow you to be moved from a place He wants you to stay. If it isn't right, do not force it, do not fight it. Pray always for direction from God.