Cloudy Days . . . Dark Nights, Part 1

When we open the pages of Scripture.

Dust off the ancient stories were quick to realize that human nature hasn't changed over thousands of years. The cultures bear little resemblance the dynamics between men and women in the tensions between good and evil have changed very little.

Yesterday, for instance, we talked about our common battle against anger today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll describes the outcome of rebellion. David Wilsey decided to make up his own rules and the result despondency and depression. Chuck titled today's message cloudy days.

Dark nights.

Our study of David, has led up to the heights of his victory over Goliath, but since that time, David's life is been filled with new low after new low, one after another and now here in verse 1027 we find David forced out of Israel altogether living in enemy territory and far from the royal destiny God had given him. As we look at this period of David's life, I'd like you to think about how you deal with cloudy days and dark nights in your life. Turn with me in preparation for those thoughts to first Samuel chapter 27 were all begin our reading at verse one.

Listen closely then David said to himself.

Now I will perish one day, but the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines sold and will despair of searching for me anymore and all the territory of Israel, and I will escape from his hand. So David Rosen crossed over. He and the 600 men who were with him to a quiche, the son of male King of Gath and David lived with a case at death. He and his men, each with his household. Even David with his two wives I know him, but just relight his and Abigail the Carmelites Naples widow now it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath so he no longer searched for him.

Then David said to a case if now I found favor in your sight. Let them give me a place in one of the cities in the country that I may live there. For why should your servant live in the royal city with you. So a quiche gave him a sick lag that day, therefore, is that Clegg has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day, the number of days that David lived in the country. The Philistines was a year and four months now David and his men went up and rated the geisha rights and the girls sites in the Amalekites, for they were the inhabitants of the land from ancient times as you come to sure, even as far as the land of Egypt. David attacked the land and did not leave a man or woman alive and he took away the sheep, the cattle, the donkeys, the camels and the clothing. Then he returned and came to a quiche now.

A case said, where have you made a raid today.

David said against the negative of Judah and against the negative of the drama lights and against the negative of the Canaanites. David did not leave a man or a woman alive to bring to Gath saying otherwise they will tell about us saying so has David done and so has been his practice all the time. He has lived in the country of the Philistine, so a quiche believe David saying he has surely made himself odious among his people Israel.

Therefore, he will become my servant forever.

God now Chuck Swindoll's message titled, cloudy days, dark nights first 27 with me as we again open the life of David or further study. Hopefully were coming to be closer friends with this great man of God also were discovering the great men of God can have a great deal of humanity as we will see this evening.

Strange as it may seem on the most famous books ever written was written by man who was serving his third term in prison even though he lived 300 years ago and even though he wrote in strange words. His book has been translated into over 100 languages and has shaped and change the lives of literally millions of people Christians in.

I'm sure non-Christians alike. Literary critics would tell you that it ranks among the classics as far as the classic allegories are concerned, the man of course is John Bunyan in his book the Pilgrim's progress. Most of you have read it and I understand that realizing it I won't bore you with a lot of needless details but just to sort of fill you in on where we are.

As I share with you a part of that story, the hero of the Pilgrim's progress is Christian the pilgrim on his way from the city of destruction through the wicked gate that leads a course to heaven. The city of God, and he goes through all sorts of adventures and experiences and pitfalls in comes across all sorts of strange people along the way. For example, he came into the presence of obstinate and pliable. They met him and tried to get him to go back to the city of destruction and course he wouldn't do it.

Obstinate wearied of trying to convince him he should and he went back pliable and he pliable and Christian fell into a blog, a deep miry muddy hole call the slough of despond pliable work his way out, but Kristin could get out and he looked for help and began to cry out in before long there appeared one by the name of help.

The picture is of course the Holy Spirit who reaches down and lifts us from despondency and then there's a dialogue between help and Christian service and Christian. I was big go this way by man called evangelist who directed me also to yonder gate that I might escape escape the wrath to come in as I was going for their I fell in here fear followed me so hard that I fled the next way and fell in, and then said help give me thy hand so he gave him his hand and he drew him out and set him up on sound ground and bid him go on his way.

Then I stepped to him. That is Bunyan who is dreaming this then I stepped to him that plucked him out and said sir wherefore sense over this place is the way from the city of destruction to yonder gate is that this place is not amended that poor travelers might go thither with more security listen to his answer. He said this miry slough is such a place as cannot be mended, and that is true. There is no way the Christian can go through this life en route to heaven without spending some time. Unfortunately, in the slough of despond, if you think you can escape that that bog you are dreaming. You are not facing facts as art is not to try David because he was despondent. Please understand that there is nothing ethically and morally are spiritually wrong with cloudy days and dark nights they are inevitable. That's what James says considerate joy when you come across these trials.

That's not our concern with David. Our concern is what he did when he fell in there was a fork in the road and he took the wrong way, and the result was predictable misery compromise, and in fact, 16 long months of disobedience. Now there were some causes that led to these moments that David experience and I will point out to you as we start off I suppose if we were to translate the Pilgrim's progress in today's terms, we would call the slough despond the pits because that's where he was, but he didn't just happen to come there.

David experienced it because of three things I like to see them with me. Notice the chapter begins.

Then David said to himself. Oh, there's your first problem.

It's important if you talk to yourself that you tell yourself the right thing. David didn't so the very first cause for his experience in the slough of despond is what I would call humanistic viewpoint. He looked at life strictly from the horizontal.

You will find David praying once in this chapter David never lets up until much further down the line as we in the message you see him do that, but he is coming off a spiritual high and emotional hi remember he could explain Saul twice, but he didn't. He was about to kill a ball, but Abigail stood in his way and said don't do that. So he is experienced. It a great deal of victory. He's come off the crest of a of victory and that's a very vulnerable spot you ever been to summer conferences. You know what I mean, that's no problem.

While you're at the conference. The problem comes when you get home, no problem. When school starts it once it's when school continues and goes on. You know they don't have those courses. The last three or four days.

They last year's and in the process of years. We tend to peek out and we begin to fall.

And David says to himself. Things that were wrong. Okay the second thing that caused his and his problem was pessimistic reasoning see what he says now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul.

Well that's all that's wrong.

David you know better than that. You notice that it's in the future. He says I will perish. He doesn't know the future but pessimists who continually focus on the future and come out wrong in their minds. The future is inevitably bleak, pessimistic reasoning, surrounded David our parish in Sandalwood said to be the king God spoke through Abigail and said you're going to be the king God spoke through Jonathan and said he will be the next King. Even Saul, the enemy had said. David, I realize I'm looking at my at my replacement but David denied all those promises that God had given any set out Perry shall never see the kingdom of medical doctor wrote a book some time ago entitled how to live 365 days a year and in the book he talks about a pessimist name Sam who was a rich farmer because Sam reminds me of so many of us at times when were despond and I want to read an account that this man mentions. I have asked Sam's family and Sam's neighbors, whether they have ever heard Sam say a hopeful pleasant word, and not one of them ever had. Oh yes I almost forgot his wife thinks that Sam did say something pleasant. The first year of their marriage, but that was so long ago.

She is no longer sure to illustrate how Sam's disposition operates. I drove into his farm one day in July just about the time the oats were ready to be cut. Sam had 60 acres of the nicest boats you'd ever want to see I said slam it so wonderful feel of those have their Sam said mournfully yeah but the wind will blow it down before I get it cut.

I watch the oats. Sam got it cut before the wind blew it down. He got it threshed before it burned up. I knew he received a good price for the oats. So the next time I saw Sam I said slam start out oh I suppose good enough. He replied, but a crop of oats like that sure takes a lot of the soil another year. He had corn that ran 165 bushels to the acre before it was harvested. Sam was in my office and I was saying as the corn this year. Sam Sam said terrible it's so heavy I don't, I will get in there and get it cut at another time.

In October I met him on the street. It was one of those beautiful October dream days in Wisconsin with what I thought was a contagious enthusiasm. I said hello Sam wonderful day isn't it. Sam's answer was yeah but when we get it will get it hard that's a pessimist like Eeyore is here that you read about Eeyore don't look at me like you and ready, or you've read the friend of Christopher Robin you know and he gave that his tail knew yours.

What we like what we say this bad thing will happen one day is arise on ourselves. I have never found the Lord lead me to a pessimistic thought never once when they are perish. There's 1/3 reason that he was in this deep despondency, and that is rationalistic logic led him there.

What he says I will perish one day, but handle Saul there is nothing better for me than to escape into the land of the Philistines. Can you believe that statement that's rationalism that says times are hard, God left me. I thought I could be king but I'll never be king. I'm going to die if I keep on the frontage of Saul's army he's going to catch up with me.

I'll have to escape all go to publicity will for sure Saul would look for him in the Philistine camp because that's where the adversary lives not want this to be such an allegory, you miss what were saying. It's a beautiful picture of a Christian that for carnality will hear much about the carnal Christian doing a lot about the lost person who's never met Jesus Christ, we hear a great deal about the same person is walking and victory. David is an illustration of a believer who is a believer on the inside but on the outside it looks just like a nonbeliever because he shows a lifestyle that is nonbeliever each. It is like a non-Christian, he says I go to Philistine role of a well-known psychologist said man is the strangest of all animals is the only animal that runs faster when he has lost his way is remarkable how when we lose our way.

We will turn in the wrong direction and split with all our strength, and that's exactly what David did. Now you could think if you like, but was wrong when you make that kind of decision. It doesn't affect anybody but yourself.

As I've heard some Christians say lately. I'll take my lumps I'll choose this route now live with the consequences. Wait a minute you don't you don't take the lumps alone.

You drag others with you know my list to himself. No man dies to himself and no man sends to himself either. For example, look at the extent of it. Verse two David arose and crossed over, crossed over what he left his home in Israel. He left the wilderness area and he went into the Philistine country, but he didn't go alone. He and the 600 men who were with him. David is a commander he's the commander in chief of the guerrilla troops. The Israeli troops. He strained these men in the cave of development.

They have done battle in the wilderness and among the border tribes and you he should've known when he went they would go with him. Not only thank verse three, David lived with a case of death, but he and his men and their households. So now we have David +600+600 households. Furthermore, it says in verse three that David's wives ahead ON and Abigail went along as well you think you can compromise that will affect your family listen to some names you change your mind.

Richard climbed East Robert Haldeman Jeff McGruder John Ehrlichman Lawrence O'Brien E. Howard Hunt, Gordon Liddy, Herbert Tom Buck Richard Nixon, regardless of your position, regardless of your interpretation of the facts the things that happened in the Oval Office and the things that happened as a byproduct of that Oval Office and those decisions affected not only those nine, 10 how.

Who knows how many men but their families as well.

It was all sense of of compromise that marked their lives and they live in that they live in the wake of it, you do not simply live independently of everyone else. When you make a decision that is wrong you take a course that is not God's plan, you take it rather extensively among those as well that trust you and count on you and look to you believe in, when Abraham went to Egypt.

So did Sarah and the same is true today.

Well really the balance of the messages on the consequences that poor decision, but let me point out a couple three right now and then will go further to the passage and show you the balance of verse four. It was told Saul that David had fled to Gath. By the way, member Gath memory, a giant member, his hometown Goliath of Gath, and now that's David's home you believe it only a matter of years since he slew Goliath and in the in the Valley of the law, and yet after after a number of years of running and now beginning to fade in the stretch.

He runs back to Gath and decides he'll live there with a quiche. The king, the arch enemy of the Israelites says it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath so he that Saul no longer searched for him. The first consequences that it created a false sense of security and safe and Philistine, at last, I don't have to mess with those those troops of Saul that had been on my back and following my steps hunting and holding the appraiser's gone to relieve Saul stop following know there's another reason there's another consequence of verse five David said to a Kish. Here's the giant killer talking to the king of Gath. He says if now I have found favor in your sight.

Let the citizens give me a place in one of the cities in the country that I may live there. The second consequences submission to an adversary because when you opt for a disobedient style of life and you choose carnality rather than spirituality, you begin to serve an adversary because it brings up the third.

Verses six and seven Yankees games and glad to it that day and the number of the days. David lived in the country. The Philistines was a year and four months of the third consequences that led to a lengthy period of compromise. There is something magnetic about slumping into despondency and beginning a lifestyle like the lost world. Just don't snap out of this dramatic story is twisting and turning and there's much more we need to discover in first Samuel 27 Chuck titled today's message cloudy days and dark nights. This is insight for living. To learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insideworld.org right now. Let me remind you that Chuck wrote a full-length biography on David. It's the one that parallels.

This comprehensive teaching series. His book nearly 300 pages in length is titled David, a man of passion and destiny. This would make a great summer read because it chronicles the unfolding story of David from his years on a hillside as a shepherd boy to his assent to the highest rank in Israel and it's all told in a fashion that you've come to enjoy on this program to purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on David give us a call if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or visit our website@insight.org/offer. Here's Chuck. Thank you Bill are subject to own insight for living is little other than David the one of whom God said there that one is after my own heart put a grand heartwarming statement and what would God say that if David will David were learning to walk in harmony with God. He had his priorities straight.

And even when David fell short. He didn't waste time recovering with genuine humility and bone deep integrity.

He was after all a man after God's own heart. By the way, you can become a person of spiritual passion and destiny. Just as David was, no matter who you are regardless of what you may have been through Jesus Christ gives us supernatural strength to live for him. This is the heart of our message and insight for living ministries and now it's time to rally around a shared mission that is to proclaim God's truth and to make disciples of all the nations, you see many depend upon this daily program as their single source of Bible teaching and spiritual insight occupying the places my honor and absolute privilege, but I can't do this alone. This is a genuine partnership. It's a team effort. So as God prospers you and as you measure the impact of our daily program on your life and in your home. Please take a few extra moments to give a generous financial gift together. Let's tell the whole world.

It no matter how difficult life is become, no matter how far a person may have strayed from God's best. It's never too late to become a woman or a man after God's own thanks Chuck you can respond right now and get in touch by using one of these methods. First you can give your donation by calling us if you're listening in the United States, call 807 seven 288 or it may be quicker to give you donation online@insight.org. By the way, one of your fellow listeners wrote from far away for New Guinea and said Chuck your teaching on the life of David impacted me so much. I began to pray to have a heart after God is King David. I'm still walking strong in the Lord and I owe a debt of gratitude to your teaching. God bless you and your family and ministry will moments like these are made possible because people like you give generously to insight for living. Here's our phone number again if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/inviting you to join us. When Chuck Swindoll continues his message about cloudy days and dark nights tomorrow on insight for living. The preceding message, cloudy days, dark nights was copyrighted in 1978, 1988, 1997 and 2009 and the sound recording was copyrighted 2009 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited