David had a BIG problem: King Saul wanted to kill him.
He knew King Saul wanted him dead and he didn’t like that- he wanted to change the King’s disposition towards him. He wanted King Saul to LIKE him. He wanted King Saul to APPROVE of him. He wanted King Saul to be BUDDIES with him.
And he WORKED HARD at achieving that.
He spoke to Jonathan, King Saul’s son to talk to his father on his behalf. He wanted Jonathan to be the Peace Negotiator between them. Jonathan did his best, but King Saul did not change his stance against David.
David had 2 opportunities to kill King Saul, but he didn’t take advantage of them. On both occasions he made the King realize he had the chance to kill him, but he didn’t: he thought sparing his life would endear him to the King.
But guess what? It didn’t! King Saul still wanted him dead!
At some point, REALITY hit David. “This man WILL kill me sooner or later! I have to change my TACTICS”, he said. And David said in his heart, “Now, I shall perish someday by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape to the land of the Philistines and Saul will not look for me anymore in Israel!” -1st Samuel 27:1
David ACCEPTED the REALITY on ground and took PRAGMATIC STEPS to move on with his life! It took a while, but he eventually got there.
We all face challenges in life we don’t like and we seek ways to change them. We pray, we fast, we make confessions, we make declarations, we do all we know to do. But sometimes, we need to face REALITY like David did- this situation will NOT change: ACCEPT it and take Pragmatic Steps to move on with your life!
Prophet Jeremiah told Judah: “You WILL be going to exile in Babylon for 70 years!” God added an advice… “Thus says the Lord of Hosts, the God of Israel to all who were carried away captive, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: build houses and dwell in them; plant gardens and eat their fruit. Marry wives and have children, take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands so they may have children- that you may increase and not decrease. And SEEK THE PEACE of the city where I have caused you to be carried away captive and PRAY FOR IT; for in its peace you will have peace.” -Jeremiah 29:4-7
God was simply telling them to ACCEPT their REALITY and INTEGRATE! 70 years is a very long time to hope for a return to Jerusalem. If you went to Babylon as a captive at 20, you would return at 90- the most productive years of your life would be in Babylon: why not change your TACTICS and MAXIMISE your productive years in Babylon?
But guess what? Some of these folks went to Babylon and REFUSED to ACCEPT that REALITY and INTEGRATE as God advised! One of them wrote Psalm 137:
“By the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept when we remembered Zion.
There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How can we sing the songs of the Lord while in a foreign land? If I forget you, Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy.
Remember, Lord, what the Edomites did on the day Jerusalem fell. “Tear it down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!”
DAUGHTER BABYLON, DOOMED TO DESTRUCTION, HAPPY IS THE ONE WHO REPAYS YOU ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE TO US. HAPPY IS THE ONE WHO SEIZES YOUR INFANTS AND DASHES THEM AGAINST THE ROCKS!”
God asked them to PRAY for the peace of Babylon because in its peace, they would fine peace. But this Psalmist chose to CURSE Babylon instead! Reading through the Psalm (especially the last 2 Verses), you will KNOW the Writer was NOT ready to face his REALITY, change TACTICS, be PRAGMATIC about it and INTEGRATE!
I had a friend in the University who was convinced a lady on campus was his wife and he told her. She turned him down, but he held on to his conviction. The lady got pregnant for another student and he got to know, but he still held on to his conviction. She eventually gave birth to a baby and after graduation, she got married to the father of her child. My friend REFUSED to accept REALITY and take PRAGMATIC steps to move on. He held on to what he believed God told him.
That was in 1998, thereabouts. I have no idea where he is today, I don’t know if he is still holding unto hope.
I have seen this play out too many times in life, people falling in love with those who don’t share the same feelings. But rather than face REALITY, change TACTICS, be PRAGMATIC and move on, they do all they know to do to change the person’s disposition towards them.
I’ve been there too, I KNOW how it feels, trust me!
In the Book of Numbers, we read an interesting story: Israel had a PROBLEM and Bishop Moses thought out a SOLUTION: he organized an All-Night WEEPING Service! So, the people gathered at the door of the Tabernacle to WEEP, hoping that would solve the problem. But one Usher decided to be PRAGMATIC about the situation and ACTED: the problem was resolved INSTANTLY! Sometimes, we just need to change TACTICS.
“Then an Israelite man brought into the camp a Midianite woman right before the eyes of Moses and the whole assembly of Israel while they were weeping at the entrance to the tent of meeting. When Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, saw this, he left the assembly, took a spear in his hand and followed the Israelite into the tent. He drove the spear into both of them, right through the Israelite man and into the woman’s stomach. Then the plague against the Israelites was stopped” -Numbers 25: 6-8.
Joseph was sold as a slave aged 17. He became Ruler over Egypt aged 30. At age 37, the Famine started. Aged 39 (2 years into the Famine), his brothers came to buy food in Egypt. Joseph spoke to them THROUGH AN INTERPRETER!
“They did not know that Joseph understood them for he spoke to them through an interpreter” -Genesis 42:23).
Joseph accepted his REALITY, took PRAGMATIC steps and INTEGRATED himself in Egypt- before God elevated him. I can guarantee you Joseph did NOT curse Egypt like the writer of Psalm 137 cursed Babylon. Joseph must have prayed for Egypt: he knew in Egypt’s peace lied his own peace. Same with Daniel in Babylon: he knew his peace lied in the Peace of Babylon- Daniel must have taken God’s advice by praying for Babylon.
YOU CAN NEVER RISE TO RULE OVER THE COUNTRY YOU CURSE.
At some point, David was in a dilemma in the land of the Philistines: he was recognized! He KNEW he could be killed. He didn’t pray, he didn’t fast, he didn’t make any confessions or declarations: he took a very PRAGMATIC Step: he pretended to be MAD!
“That day David fled from Saul and went to Achish king of Gath. But the servants of Achish said to him, “Isn’t this David, the king of the land? Isn’t he the one they sing about in their dances: “‘Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands’?”
David took these words to heart and was very much afraid of Achish king of Gath. So, he pretended to be insane in their presence; and while he was in their hands he acted like a madman, making marks on the doors of the gate and letting saliva run down his beard.” -1st Samuel 21: 10-13
That was David facing REALITY, being PRAGMATIC about it and changing his TACTICS: again.
Sometimes you don’t need prayers or fasting, confessions or declarations. You just need to accept the REALITY you face and be PRAGMATIC about it.
And change TACTICS and INTEGRATE where necessary.
May God give us the WISDOM to know when to apply the Principles of T.R.I.P. in the situations we find ourselves in Jesus’ Name.
Amen.
Shalom…
Haruna Daniels.