1 Samuel 21:10-15

¹⁰ David rose and fled that day from Saul; he went to King Achish of Gath. ¹¹ The servants of Achish said to him, “Is this not David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances,

‘Saul has killed his thousands
and David his ten thousands’?”

¹² David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of King Achish of Gath. ¹³ So he changed his behavior before them; he pretended to be mad when in their presence.^[c] He scratched marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard. ¹⁴ Achish said to his servants, “Look, you see the man is mad; why then have you brought him to me? ¹⁵ Do I lack madmen, that you have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?”

Like the time that David defeated Goliath, David went on holy journeys in his life. And he also went on trips that were about survival. When King Saul had become tormented by evil spirits as God’s blessings (and the crown) were slipping away, he sought to kill David. And David, who was on the run, had to decide who was worthy of trust. When he wasn’t quite sure if King Achish and his cohorts were a good choice, he switched to some unconventional means to be “un-invited.” Sometimes, we have to stay alert and nimble.

Prayer

God, give us good sense in our daily journeys. Protect us as we seek your guidance and grace. Amen.