Committed Way

A quick look at 1 Samuel 24 while I’m on vacation. And my thoughts on yesterday’s midterm elections.

How do we know whether we’re following God’s will or simply asking Him to approve what we already want?

In 1 Samuel 23, David is running for his life, yet he continues seeking God’s direction. Jonathan encourages his friend by reminding him of God’s promises, even when those promises come at a personal cost. Meanwhile, Saul is so consumed by pride that he mistakes his own desires for God’s approval.

Through these three men, we discover the difference between seeking God’s will, submitting to God’s will, and presuming upon God’s will.

In this lesson, we consider the importance of prayer, the danger of confusing opportunity with God’s approval, and the humility required to follow God when His direction differs from our desires.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 23:1–29

David is hiding in a cave, uncertain of what comes next. Saul is sitting on the throne, desperately trying to maintain control. One man is learning to trust God’s promises, while the other is allowing pride and insecurity to lead him toward destruction.

In this study of 1 Samuel 22, we follow David from the cave of Adullam as he cares for his family, waits on God’s direction, and learns to walk by faith. Meanwhile, Saul’s growing pride leads to a devastating tragedy at Nob.

Through these contrasting lives, we’re reminded that trusting God doesn’t mean knowing every step ahead. It means clinging to what we know about His character and promises, obeying what He has revealed, and humbly taking responsibility when we fail.

Scripture: 1 Samuel 22

David knew where God had promised to take him, but he had no idea how he was going to get there. With Saul pursuing him and no clear path forward, David found himself afraid, uncertain, and forced to make difficult decisions.

In 1 Samuel 21, along with Psalms 34 and 56, we see that fear and faith can exist at the same time. When we cannot see the road ahead, we can keep walking by what we already know about God: He cares for us, He hears us, He is for us, His Word can be trusted, and His faithfulness in the past gives us confidence to trust Him today.

Sometimes God doesn’t show us the whole road. He gives us enough truth to stay between the lines and keep walking through the fog.

What happens when what God is doing isn’t what you wanted God to do?

In the closing verses of 1 Samuel 20, we see three very different responses. Saul fights God’s will. Jonathan surrenders to God’s will even when it costs him. And David is left waiting on God’s will when he doesn’t know what comes next.

In this study of 1 Samuel 20:24–42, we see that submitting to God’s will doesn’t mean it won’t hurt, faith doesn’t eliminate grief, and waiting doesn’t mean God has forgotten His promises. The question isn’t whether God’s plan will always match ours. The question is how we will respond when it doesn’t.

David knows God has promised him the throne, yet Saul is still trying to kill him. Jonathan is the natural heir to that same throne, yet he recognizes that God has chosen David and refuses to fight against what God is doing.

In 1 Samuel 20:1–23, David and Jonathan face God’s plan from very different circumstances. David must trust God’s promise while running for his life, and Jonathan must submit to a future different from the one he might have expected. Through their covenant friendship, we see loyal kindness, godly friendship, and the faith required to follow God even when His plan is uncomfortable or difficult to understand.

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It’s been a little quiet around here.

While I haven’t been sending many emails lately, one thing that has continued consistently is the Committed Way podcast. Each week, I’ve been teaching through the book of 1 Samuel in our adult Sunday School class and sharing those lessons on the podcast.

I’m also beginning to write again, which means you’ll probably be hearing from me a little more often. But I thought a good place to start would be simply sharing this week’s lesson.

God Is My Defense — 1 Samuel 19

Saul’s private jealousy has become open hostility. He orders David’s death, throws another javelin, sends men to surround his house, and eventually goes after David himself.

Yet throughout 1 Samuel 19, David keeps discovering that God is his defense.

In this lesson, we see Jonathan model gracious but courageous confrontation, David serve humbly even after being mistreated, and the difference between merely restraining sinful behavior and dealing with the heart beneath it. We also see that trusting God doesn’t mean ignoring danger—David dodges the javelin and climbs out the window while continuing to trust God with the outcome.

The lesson concludes in Psalm 59, written during these events, where David looks beyond every human means of deliverance and declares, “God is my defence, and the God of my mercy.”

In 1 Samuel 18:17–30, Saul becomes increasingly determined to control his future and remove David from the picture. He uses promises, people, spiritual language, and even his own daughters in an attempt to manipulate circumstances and accomplish what he wants.

David, however, cannot see everything happening behind the scenes. He does not know all of Saul’s motives or plans. What he can do is remain humble, behave wisely, and faithfully respond to the situation God has placed in front of him.

This lesson explores the danger of manipulation, the difference between knowing God’s will and submitting to it, and the freedom that comes when we stop trying to control every outcome. We may not know everything others are doing, and we may not understand everything God is allowing, but we can humble ourselves, seek wisdom from His Word, and trust Him with the results.

David’s victory over Goliath was only the beginning. In 1 Samuel 18, he must now navigate two pressures that have undone many people: success and opposition. While Jonathan responds to David with selfless friendship, Saul responds with comparison, jealousy, fear, and eventually violence. Yet through every promotion, every attack, and every changing circumstance, one phrase explains David’s path: “the LORD was with him.”

In this lesson, we look at what Jonathan teaches us about friendship, what it means that David “behaved himself wisely,” and why walking with God is not a guarantee of an easy or outwardly successful life. David became king; Jonathan died in battle. The goal is not to control the outcome, but to remain humble, faithful, and wise on whatever path God gives us.