God Is Still Faithful
God remains faithful to His eternal purpose and plan for our lives, even when we are unfaithful or make mistakes.
David Wilkerson emphasizes that despite David's moment of unfaithfulness when he sought refuge in Gath, God remained faithful to His promises and purpose for David's life. Anointed by Samuel, David was a man of prayer, worship, and great faith, yet he faltered in his trust during a time of fear. Even when David acted foolishly, pretending to be mad to escape danger, God's plan for him continued to unfold, demonstrating that God's faithfulness is not dependent on our actions. Wilkerson encourages believers to remember that God's faithfulness persists even in our failures, as He works all things for our good.
Text
When Samuel anointed David to be Israel's king, the young man was given a new heart: "Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward" (1 Samuel 16:13).
David became a man who was godly, wise, loved and full of the fear of God: "And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the Lord was with him" (18:14).
David was a man of much prayer. He praised the Lord as few people ever have, blessing the heart of God with his songs and psalms. Nobody could have been more intimate with the Lord than David.
David was also a man of great faith. He went on to slay Goliath and become a mighty warrior for Saul. Women sang of his exploits on the battlefield. God's Spirit clearly was upon this man, and the Lord obviously had a plan for his life.
But then Saul came after David with wrath, and David had to flee. He took 400 of his men and fled to the hometown of the giant Goliath, whom he had slain. Talk about an unfaithful act. David had not asked the Lord about this move. On the contrary, he had decided to put his life in the hands of the king of Gath, seeking refuge from him. But in Gath, hostile whispers rose up, "Isn't this the man people sing about? Hasn't he killed thousands of Philistines?" (See 1 Samuel 21:11.)
David was taken to the king. He knew he was trapped, in trouble, so he pretended to be mad, raving incoherently, scratching the walls, spittle running down his beard. He hoped that somehow his "insanity" would deliver him from the clutches of King Achish.
What a poor testimony this was before all his men. Achish looked at David and said, "This man has lost his mind. Get him out of here!"
David was unfaithful at that moment but God was still faithful. He didn't write David off. While David was acting foolishly, God's eternal purpose for him went onward. Saul's kingdom was growing weaker every day and God was moving everything into place to ensure David's blessing.
Sermon Outline
- I. Introduction to David's Anointing
- A. Samuel anointed David with a new heart
- B. David became a godly, wise, and loving man
- II. David's Characteristics
- A. A man of much prayer and praise
- B. A man of great faith
- III. David's Unfaithfulness
- A. Fleeing to Gath without asking God
- B. Pretending to be mad to escape King Achish
- IV. God's Faithfulness
- A. God didn't write David off
- B. God's eternal purpose for David continued
- C. God moved everything into place for David's blessing
Key Quotes
“David was unfaithful at that moment but God was still faithful.” — David Wilkerson
“God's Spirit clearly was upon this man, and the Lord obviously had a plan for his life.” — David Wilkerson
“God's eternal purpose for him went onward.” — David Wilkerson
Application Points
- We should seek God's guidance and wisdom in our decisions to avoid making unfaithful choices.
- God's favor is not lost when we make mistakes, but rather it is a reminder that we need to seek His forgiveness and guidance.
- We can learn from David's mistakes by being honest with ourselves and others about our actions and seeking God's wisdom.