1Sam024 Perilous Times

David's story recorded in chapter 23 is a story of betrayal. Having heard that the city of Keilah was attacked by the Philistines, David inquired of the Lord about whether he should deliver his tribal brothers, and the Lord affirmed his desire. After David delivered Keilah, he inquired of the Lord about whether he should stay for a while in Keilah, the Lord told David to leave because the citizens of Keilah intended to deliver him up to Saul. Then, David headed out from Keilah and the Lord directed him to the wilderness of Ziph; once again, his tribal brothers betray him to Saul and David has to move on again. Finally, David finds himself hiding on one side of a huge rock in the middle of the desert floor in the wilderness of Maon and Saul was breathing down his neck from the other side of the rock. With his back against the wall and his chances of survival looking bleak, David began to pray fervently. That prayer of David is recorded in Psalm 54 and provides us with valuable insight into David's thinking as he was trapped on this rock and teaches us how to pray in perilous times as David did.