Some of the worst advice I think you can give someone is to “follow your heart”. The reason? “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). Not popular advice for our culture today, but unfortunately following your heart instead of following the wisdom of God’s Word leads to folly and sin. But we all do it anyway.
Even the best of us follow our heart. David certainly did. Despite all the external evidence of God’s provision for David, the internal strain became too much. He did not listen to God. He followed his heart. He ultimately landed in a sticky situation. One that God, much like he has done for us in Christ, would have to pull him out from.
The truth is that we can sympathise with how David felt. He had fled from Saul’s presence to the wilderness, gathered a band of followers, but had to constantly move to keep all safe. Saul kept finding out where he was. The stress and strain was too much.
Or so David thought in his heart. “David said in his heart, “Now I shall perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will despair of seeking me any longer within the borders of Israel, and I shall escape out of his hand” (v.1)
So that is what he did, together with his six hundred men, plus their many hundreds families (v.2). David returned to Gath, where he had fled previously. This time, as a known fugitive from Saul instead of his chief enforcer. This time, King Achish welcomed him and his family (v.3). This time, finally, Saul stopped pursuing David (v.4).
Yet where was God in this? Elsewhere, David had sought God’s counsel. This time, David followed his heart. God never entered the picture. Nor was Biblical wisdom and prudence at play. No doubt David thought he was being wise and prudent, but he was forgetting God’s gracious provision and protection many times before. David walked out of the Promised Land, the place of God’s blessing for his people, and into the hands of a foreign protector.
That said, David immediately took steps to distance himself from King Achish. He asked to set up camp in one of the country towns, rather than remain in Gath (v.5). Achish, probably concerned about a powerful mercenary force living close and living off his own funds, agreed and gave him Ziklag (v.6).
Ironically, Ziklag was part of the inheritance of Israel (Joshua 15), but had never been conquered. So God still used David’s sinfulness to bless Israel by bringing this part of the inheritance into their hands (v.6).
With the benefit of distance, David could manage the relationship with Achish. Enough that David and his band settled in the Philistine lands for a year and four months (v.7).
From Ziklag, David raided Israel’s enemies (v.8) but lied about it to earn favour with his new master, suggesting he was attacking Israel (v.10). Of course, survivors would spoil this line, so every living person was wiped out (vv. 9,11) to keep up the ruse.
So while David was fulfilling God’s commands in wiping out those enemies of Israel specifically marked for judgement (much as this makes us uneasy today), he had left his principles in Israel for lying and ruthlessness.
All seemed well. Achish trusted David, thinking he had cut all ties with Israel by his actions (v.12). So much so that when the Philistines decided to invade Israel again, Achish called David and his men together as part of his armed forces (v.1) Gulp. David muttered out an ambiguous answer, and found himself Achish’s bodyguard (v.2). Now what would David do?
David listened to his heart and found himself in a bind. He did not remember God’s promises, or seek Godly counsel. He followed his heart into sin, backed it up with lies and ruthlessness, and found himself in a dilemma.
Sounds familiar.
We can look down our noses at David and his pickle, looking back with an air of “I hate to say I told you so…” or we can stop for a minute and reflect. This sounds familiar, because it is sadly familiar. To all of us.
We listen to our heart. We stumble into sin. We keep digging. Then we find our principles compromised or lost. We all do it. Even “the greats” like David did it. The Disciples did it, when they fled at Jesus’ arrest. Peter listened to his heart, and denied Jesus three times.
The answer to life’s problems is not to listen to your heart. But to listen to God’s Word. To seek godly counsel and support. To trust in God’s promises.
And when we fail, to seek forgiveness through the only one who did not follow his heart into sin, Jesus. There is no salvation found anywhere else. Following God’s grace, not our hearts.
