When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod." – 1 Samuel 23:9

Today's Scripture Reading (April 23, 2022): 1 Samuel 23

It is hard for us to understand, but sometimes, being in the right place at the right time is a recipe for trouble. Yet, even then, those places of danger still exist within the will of God. Somehow, we have to rid ourselves of the idea that being in the center of God's will is the safest place to be. Sometimes, being in the center of God's will means being in a dangerous position. God doesn't always carry us away from the giants; sometimes, he places us in their path and asks us to battle against them. We hope that we can live out our lives in relative safety, hiding in the presence of our God. But that is fantasy, not reality. And we are called to live in the real world.

God has called David to go to Keilah to deliver the town from the Philistines. Going to Keilah was God's will, and God promised David that he would deliver the Philistine invaders into David's hands. And so, in obedience to God, David goes and fights the Philistines in Keilah. But Keilah is a walled town, which means that it is a safe place in some ways, yet it is also a dangerous place because a walled city has a limited number of avenues of escape. Word gets to Saul about David's plans, and it is something to which Saul reacts with glee. Once inside the city, all his men have to do is guard the gates to trap the one Saul believed had become his competition. With David imprisoned inside the walls of Keilah, there will finally be no avenue for escape for David. At last, David will be delivered into the hands of Saul.

David discovers Saul's plans and asks Abiathar, the priest, to bring the ephod to him. The ephod was a sleeveless garment worn by the priest to which the breastplate was attached. Inside the breastplate were the Urim and Thummim that were used to discover God's intentions. David had inquired of God before he went to Keilah, and now with Saul on his way, it was time to ask God once again.

It was an action that honored God. God's intention is often to lead us moment by moment. There was no doubt that God had instructed David to go to Keilah. But that action placed David both at the center of God's will and at the center of a very real danger. Saul would come, and David would be captured. And so, David asks God for help, and that help comes in the form of an escape plan. It was time for David to leave Keilah and return to his life on the run.

For the foreseeable future, David would continue to live in great danger. His enemies would continue to follow him, troubling him at every encounter. But just because David was in trouble did not mean that he was not at the center of God's will. This was precisely the place where God wanted David to be.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 54