Place: Lurgan Baptist 8:12:2002

Reading: 1 Samuel 19:1-18

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF DAVID

5. WHEN THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO LEAN ON !

Lying in the emergency room with your hair still matted with clumps of ice you hear the Doctor in broken English explain that your leg has been broken in three places. It was your first time ever to ride the ski lift and you were excited. From your panoramic view the sky looked swimming pool blue and the snow blankets polar bear white, and the wind whipped through your hair and nipped at your nose. Your excitement reached a pitch as you skied off the lift and faced what looked to you more like a cliff than a slope. But knowing there was only one way down you took a deep breath and began snaking your way cautiously through the powder. Suddenly you heard the whoosh of skies slicing the ice and a " look out." It was too late, a goggled monster was coming straight at you. Next shivering blackness. And now surrounded by the smell of freshly cast plaster you face the prospect of months on crutches.

Crutches .... those wooden legs with cushioned armed pads will be your sole support. You will lean on them. while your bones are healing, depending on them to support every feeble step you take. Now not everyone has broken a leg, yet we all have some broken places in our emotional bones. Weaknesses, vulnerabilities, cracks in our character that make us lean on crutches when blown by life's icy blasts. But unlike wooden crutches our emotional crutches won't speed up the healing process, in fact they will retard it. So now and then God moves in and takes away every prop, but Himself. Here's David, the super-hero, the giant-killer, the armour bearer of Saul, Sauls own personal musician,

and God begins to remove the props from underneath David, till David is brought to the place where he is leaning on God alone.

So many times in life God positions us that we have nothing to lean on but God Himself. You see, all of us are more inclined to Lean, than we are to Learn. We lean on a wife or husband, we lean on our children or grandchildren. We lean on our appearance, or we lean on our vocation. We lean on our reputation. Some lean on their wealth or resources, others lean on a special talent or gift. Yes, we lean on things, we lean on people.

Some Christians lean on their pastor or elders, or some godly person whom they have chosen as their role model. But the Lord wants us to lean on Him Alone. When we were born, we cried, but everybody else laughed and rejoiced. My .... may so we live that when we die we may laugh and rejoice and others will cry because we have lived a life leaning on the Lord. Now David had many props in life, but quick as a flash God began to pull those props out from under him. In a few months David began to lose everything he had been leaning on. I wonder, is the Lord doing that with you ?

Is He pulling out the props from underneath you ?

Is he removing the emotional crutches that you are leaning on ? Is He taking away every support but Himself ? I want to speak to you this .... on the subject

" When there's nothing to lean on." I want to give you 3 vital principles about props in life all emerging from this story of David. I want to suggest to you that props in life:

(1) SHOULD BE REVEALED BY FOCUS ON GOD

In other words its only when we bring God into focus, its only when we bring the Lord into the picture that we see our emotional crutches for what they are, and how they hamper and hinder our spiritual growth. You see, the props, the people that we lean on for support, or the things we lean on for support.

(a) THEY BECOME SUBSTITUTES FOR THE LORD:

They take the place of the Lord. The Word of God says,

" The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." ( Deut 33:27 ) Only God is to be our strength, in the final analysis we are to lean only on His everlasting arms. Do you recall what God says in

Isaiah ? " Fear thou not for I am with thee, be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee, yea I will help thee, yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness." ( 41:10 ) My .... why look to someone or something else to support you, when God righteous and powerful is willing and ready to uphold you ? You see, so often props in life become substitutes for the Lord.

(b) THEY KEEP OUR FOCUS HORIZONTAL:

When you lean on another person, or another thing, your focus is sideways not vertical. You find yourself constantly looking to that other person, or relying on that thing, that nice secure bank account. Those things that keep our focus horizontal. My .... do you know what human crutches do ? They paralyse the walk of faith.

(c) THEY OFFER ONLY TEMPORARY RELIEF:

I sound like an ad for headache tablets, don't I ? But that's actually what we do. We turn to some remedy that will soothe us or comfort us or dull our pain. People take billions of tablets each year to find a tranquillising experience in order to endure the storms of life. But just like aspirin to a broken bone, human crutches relieve the discomfort and the pain of a crisis only temporarily. Now here's the first principle. (1)

(2) CAN BE REMOVED BY FORCE FROM GOD

You see, the crisis David faced, put a limp in his spirit making him desperate for support. Never before had David been so vulnerable and never again would he live free from the memory of brokeness and pain. Saul, David's superior had turned against him. Because of his

miraculous victory over Goliath of Gath, David had won the favour of the Israelite nation.

Do you remember the cry of those foolish women ?

" Saul hath slain his thousands and David his ten thousands." ( 18:7 ) The Bible says " And Saul was very wroth .... and Saul eyed David from that day and forward." ( 18:9 ) What a strange mixture Saul was. The writer H.G. Wells says of one of his strange characters, Mr. Polly, " He was not so much a human being as a civil war." I think that is a perfect description of Saul. He became a living civil war, miserable, possessed of an evil spirit, a suspicious, angry, jealous man. As a result, he struck out against the most trusted and trustworthy servant in his camp .... David ! While David was playing his harp Saul hurled a spear at him trying to pin him to the wall. ( 18:10 ) At this David fled. But Sauls vendetta against him continued. When he could not kill David himself he put him into battles where he might be killed by the Philistines. ( 18:17 ) When that failed Saul's next plan was to ensnare David by having him marry his daughter Michal. ( 18:18-20 ) But when that plot failed Saul put out a contract on David's life.

( 19:1 )

My .... was this not an emotionally crippling crisis that David was facing ? Because of this he clung to several supports, which God chose to pull him away from him, one at a time. Speaking of this time he says in

( Ps 59:3 ) " For lo, they lie in wait for my soul, the mighty are gathered against me, not for my transgression, nor for my sin O Lord." David had done nothing to warrant Sauls vengeful treatment, yet one by one God pulled out the props he was leaning on. Look at them for a moment.

(a) Crutch no 1: The Position that Reflected his Fame:

Look at ( 18:13 ) David had been promoted to a place of military leadership, he had led in battle as Saul's trusted officer. ( 19:8 ) But now he was fleeing Saul's spear. ( 19:8-10 ) David's position, his job, its all gone in the flash of a spear. He lost his job. Could it be that I am speaking to a Christian in a similar position

this .... ? Has the firm told you, they don't need you anymore ? Has God pulled this crutch from underneath you ?

(b) Crutch no 2: The Partner that Saved his Life:

What a strange wife Michal is ! Now I know fellows at times our wives act strange thats something I believe that's common to them all but look at this one. Do you see her Loyalty ? ( 19:12 ) Saul intended that Michal would " be a snare to him," ( 18:21 ) to bring about Davids death, but while man proposes God disposes. What Saul planned for the evil of David turned out for the good of David. Do you see her Lifestyle ? ( 19:13 )

This was a " Teraphim," an idol that was directly forbidden by the law of Moses. ( Exod 20:4 Lev 26:1 )

You see, here was a woman who was spiritually incompatible with David. ( 2 Sam 6:20 ) My .... as you think about marriage, have you given any thought to the need of being spiritually compatible ? Do you see her Lie ? ( 19:17 ) Saul deceived David, now Michal deceives Saul for what goes around comes around.

Her lie does not help David, it only deepens Sauls anger against him. So God has removed another crutch, his wife.

(c) Crutch no 3: The Prophet that Encouraged his Heart:

Look at ( 19:18 ) David knew who he could turn to for sympathy, help, encouragement, and guidance. Being with Samuel he would obtain wise counsel and enjoy precious fellowship. To put it in present day language, what David did was this. He went to the Servant of God to hear the Word of God. My .... is that what you do in trouble ? How strange, that when believers are in the midst of trials and troubles they stay away from the place where the Word of God is ministered ? Have you ever noticed that ? My .... its in the midst of my crisis experiences that I need to hear a Word from the Lord !

Now Samuel was Approachable: " So David .... came to Samuel." ( 19:18 ) Do folk ever come to you ? Samuel was Dependable: Here he would receive sound advice. What was David's future ? When was Sauls madness end ? Samuel could help him see through the mists of uncertainty and offer him advice and shelter. For did you notice what they did ? " And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth." ( 19:18 )

An archaeological dig at Naioth has found ancient remains of what we would call apartments, houses built back to back, side to side, top to bottom, a mazelike arrangement. A place where people would be hard to find. My .... do you see this old man going the second mile to help young David ? ( 12:2 ) What about you ?

Do you ever go the second mile to help others in the crisis of life ? What an encouragement Samuel was to David, but Saul discovered their hiding place, " and David fled." ( 20:1 ) Prop no 3 was kicked out from under him, he lost Samuel. My .... this once calm, confident young warrior is feeling the squeeze. But God has not finished yet. For look at:

(d) Crutch no 4: The Prince that Pleaded his Cause:

( 20:1 ) Do you see that the bones of David's emotional security are beginning to crack ? " What have I done ?"

Have you ever felt like that when you began to lose ?

" What have I done ? Why did this happen to me ? I don't understand this. I've been faithful, I've prayed, read the Word, been loyal, been involved in Christian service. Why did I lose my job ? Why is my family breaking up ? Why have I lost my closest friend ?" Jonathan consoled David and they made a pact, and then Jonathan went in one direction, and David went in another. ( 20:42 ) What a moment that was for David. Jonathan crutch no 4 was removed. My .... are you beginning the activity of God in the life of David ? The Lord is pulling out the props from under him ! His position .... gone: his wife .... gone: his counsellor .... gone: his closest friend .... gone. But there was something else for eventually David ended up in the city of Gath and:

(e) Crutch no 5: The Pride that Marked his Spirit:

Was removed ! " And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath."

( 21:10 ) Gath ? Could it really be Gath ? That was where Goliath, the champion of the Philistines had lived. Faith had led David to defeat the giant of Gath, but now fear brings him to the city of Gath. He was in Goliaths hometown. David going to Gath would be like the Prime Minister of Israel Mr. Sharon appearing unannounced in downtown Damascus, in Syria. Was he recognised ? Yes ! To make matters worse, he had Goliaths sword for protection. " Thats David, he killed our champion, he killed the most famous person that came from Gath." David knew he was in trouble so he pretended to be crazy. ( 21:13 ) He began to foam at the mouth and the saliva ran down his beard. My .... thats David ! Thats our champion ! He had hit rock bottom. With this David made his escape and the last crutch was removed, pride self respect, his good self image .... gone. David had a position and he lost it. He had a wife and he lost her. He had a wise counsellor and he lost him. He had a friend and he lost him. He had self-respect and he lost it.

My .... are you in the same position this .... ? Are you in the process of having every crutch removed from your life ? For some it is represented by a broken romance, the person you felt was God's choice has vanished. For some it has been the death of a dream. Everything you hoped and planned for has gone up in smoke. For some of you it has been the loss of a job, the loss of a friend.

But somehow, everything and everyone you've been leaning on has been removed. Is that you ? (1) (2)

(3) MUST BE REPLACED BY FAITH IN GOD

My .... are you at the place when there's nothing to lean

on ? Well, lean on God, and God alone. For props in life must be replaced by faith in God. Now this whole process when God pulls the props from under us is:

(a) PAINFUL:

The story is told of a young man who went with an old violin maker into the forest to cut wood for the instruments they were about to make. Soon the two of them had left the protected valley where the trees were tall and straight. " We must climb the crags of the mountainside," said the old man, " thats where the gnarled and knotty trunks have been twisted by the gales." When they returned the young man asked,

" Why didn't you choose the straight smooth trunks of the trees below ?" " Ah," said the old craftsman, " the wood that grows quickly in the sheltered valley breaks under the pressure that must be used to shape the parts of the violin, but not the wood from the mountainside.

There, the trees lashed and torn by the winds produce good strong tough wood, only this kind gives sweet music." My .... many gales battered David's life before he came to the throne, but all these adverse circumstances made him stronger, but the process was painful. ( Col 1:28 )

Did you ever break a leg ? Or perhaps a bone in it ? And then lose your crutch ! As you try to hobble about you, you know its painful. My .... being stripped of all our crutches is one of the most painful experiences of life.

When the Lord pulls away all our props and human supports and we feel helpless, lonely, unsteady. Why does God do it ? Well, while this whole process is (a)

(b) IS PURPOSEFUL:

For He kicks away the props that we might lean on Him alone. Do you recall the Mount of Transfiguration ? Peter saw Moses and Elijah and the Saviour. He suggested, " Let's build three tabernacles one for Thee, and one for Moses and one for Elias." Then the cloud came, and Moses and Elijah were gone and the Lord Jesus stood alone .... " they saw no man save Jesus ONLY." ( Matt 17:8 ) Is not how the Lord wants to stand in your life ? Do you know the second commandment ? " I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." ( Exod 20:5 ) He is jealous of all competition and sooner or later He will pull away all the props until we say, " Lord I now lean totally upon Thee." My .... David went to that cave of Adullam. He had lost his position, his wife, his counsellor, his friend, his self respect. But there he turned his life over to the Lord again and at this time he wrote ( Psalm 34 ) !

" I sought the Lord ( not the position, nor the wife, nor my counsellor, nor my friend, nor my self respect, ) the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." ( Ps 34:4 ) He said, " Lord I've lost everything I was leaning on but now I am leaning Totally on you."

My .... there's nothing wrong with leaning, so long as you're leaning on the Lord. Not on our positions, spouses, friends, counsellors, reputations, ourselves, but on the Lord. " Trust in the Lord .... lean not unto thine own understanding .... paths." ( Prov 3:5-6 ) The crutches of human understanding are fragile and frail. They cannot withstand the blizzards life brings to our hearts, but God's support is strong and sure. He is our refuge from the storm. ( Is 25:4 )

" We must trust Him fully

All for us to do,

They who trust Him Wholly

Find Him wholly true."

Is God in the process of pulling out all the props in your life ? Then lean Totally on Him !