Fear (day 1) David’s Fear

David was afraid. He had been anointed to be the next king of Israel, killed the giant Goliath, and left his fields and flocks to play music in King Saul’s court, but he was afraid---with good reason. Saul craved and pursued David’s death with the fury of an enemy driven by very powerful fear. 

Read  1 Samuel 18:6-15, 28-29 to see what Saul’s fear drove him to do. Where did Saul’s fear come from? How did it lead him to sin?

·         How do fearful situations lead people into sin today? What desperate responses to fear are evident in today’s society?  What can the consequences be?

·         Read 1 Samuel 21:10-15. Why might David have thought Gath a safe haven and King Achish an accommodating benefactor?

·         What path of desperation or plan of avoidance tempts you most? How does your response reflect your trust in or lack of faith in God?

Read Psalm 56, the psalm David penned on this occasion, and write below a short summery of David’s rediscovered help in times of fear.

Underline the verses where David voices his fear.

·         Which verses are meaningful to you? How might they help as your struggle to keep focused on God?

Which promises of God recorded in Scripture can you remember when you face fearful times? Use one of these in your closing prayer.