Detours In Vision Pursuit 3

The Detours In Vision Pursuit 3

By Apostle Felix

5  Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
6  Then Achish called David, and said unto him, Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight: for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me unto this day: nevertheless the lords favour thee not. 

1 Samuel 29: 5, 6

David settled among the Philistines, the arch-enemy of Israel. King Saul sought David’s life with so much passion that David decided to go and live with the Philistines. The Philistine land was a safe haven for David and his men because Saul could not come searching for them there. David found favour with Achish, the king of the Philistines. Achish gave Ziklag to David and his men, they settled in Ziklag for one year and four months. It was a period of rest from all the running from Saul. However, David did not allow the detour of living like a refugee lose his purpose. He still stayed focused on his mission as an anointed of the Lord. He kept fighting the enemies of Israel even when he was in exile in the foreign land.

1Sa 27:11  And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines. 

1 Samuel 27: 11

Whatever circumstance you find yourself in, continue serving the purpose of God for your life. Our lives can be on a detour but do not allow your God given purpose to detour. Maintain your purpose stance. David kept fighting the enemies of Israel, such as the Amalekites even when he was exiled. When you are hurt by someone in church, do not start fighting the church but fight the enemies of the church. Do not gang up with the enemies of the church to fight the church.

David found himself in such a dilemma. On whose side will he remain loyal, Achish or Israel. A time came when the Philistines went to battle against Israel, and David and his men joined the Philistines to fight against Israel. But the princes of the Philistines had enough sense to know that even though David was wanted dead by Saul, he will not fight against Israel. He will turn against the Philistines in battle. The princes understood very well that a detour cannot change some people’s purpose for life. Some can, but David had proved to be a focused person.

4  And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, Make this fellow return, that he may go again to his place which thou hast appointed him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us: for wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? should it not be with the heads of these men? 

1 Samuel 29: 4

Th princes were uncomfortable with David’s presence in the battlefield against his own people. The Philistines decided to sent David back to Ziklag despite his pleading. David looked at it as another detour in his life. But it was a detour to save his own family and the families of his men. While on their way to the battle, the Amalekites attacked Ziklag and their wives and children were taken captive. The enemy also took their animals and burnt their village down.

1  And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;
2  And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

1 Samuel 30: 1, 2

The detour was a blessing in disguise. Some opportunities you probably lost were for your good. If you had gotten the job or that business opportunity, probably you would have been kept so busy so much that God would have become secondary to you. Not every open door is meant for you. Not all closed doors are due to misfortune. Many are the times God rescued you simply by closing a certain door. The door to go fight Israel was closed, so that David and his men would go back and rescue their families. What is victory on the expense of losing your family? What is success on the expense of losing your won precious family? Any opportunity that comes on the expense of losing your family, vision and spiritual life, is not worth pursuing.