1 Samuel 30:11

1 Samuel 30:11 says, And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;  While pursuing those who had burned Ziklag and taken the women and children captive, David’s men encountered an Egyptian in a field.  They brought him to David and gave him water since he was in bad shape.  At least David’s men had enough compassion to bring him to David.  There are people today who are abandoned by the world and in bad shape physically and spiritually that we need to have compassion on and bring to Christ.  Verse twelve adds, And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.  They then fed the Egyptian lad and his spirit returned to Him.  He had been without food or water for three days.  When we met people in need today, we need to feed them physically, but more importantly we need to point them to Jesus, the Living Bread and Water.  Verse thirteen continues, And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.  When David asked the lad who he was, he said he was an Egyptian who had been a servant, or slave would probably be more accurate, to an Amalekite.  He said he had fallen sick three days ago and had been abandoned by his master.  When people are of no use or a burden to those who have been the ones to provide for hem, even if they had to work for their provisions, we will find that they are often abandoned, especially if they would become a burden.  We as Christians need to help them and not ignore or condemn them.  Verse fourteen concludes, We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.  The lad had been a part of the force that destroyed Ziklag.  David could have just seen him as part of the enemy force and killed him, but the lad didn't realize this.  We need to make certain that we do not judge all people to be enemies just because of where they are from or even what they may have been involved in.  This lad had no choice about being involved in the raid on Ziklag.  Verse fifteen states, And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.  David asked the lad if he could bring him to this company.  As we may imagine, the lad had some concerns and asked for some assurances from David.  He first asked that David not kill him, and he then asked that David not return him to his master.  Even if we are helping non Christians today, they may be wary of our help.  Verse sixteen adds, And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.  When they reached the camp of the raiders, they were celebrating their great victory over Ziklag and the spoils that they had gotten.  Those who are not Christians often celebrate what they see as victories over Christians and have little fear of this victory ever being taken away.  Verse seventeen continues, And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day: and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men, which rode upon camels, and fled.  David and his men killed the Amalekites from the morning of one day until evening the next day.  No one escaped, except for four hundred young men who fled on camels.  David only had four hundred men with him, but after destroying a much larger force an equal number of men escaped.  Of course, this time David had gone under the direction of God and thereby under His power.  If we are engaging the enemies of God today, they will often be a larger force, but if we are acting under the authority and leadership of God, we will always be victorious, though it might not be in this lifetime.  Of course, we are not sent out to destroy the lost but to reach them with the gospel instead.  Verse eighteen says, And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away: and David rescued his two wives.  David and his men rescued everything that had been taken, including his two wives. We can be certain that anything we lose in the battle against evil today will one day be returned though not necessarily physically  but with an even greater reward.  We will be with God forever.  Verse nineteen adds, And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil, nor any thing that they had taken to them: David recovered all.  Everything was recovered because David had acted under God's direction.  If we are acting under God's direction.  Today, we will never lose anything spiritual as Christians, and the physical or material doesn't matter.  Verse twenty continues,  And David took all the flocks and the herds, which they drave before those other cattle, and said, This is David’s spoil.  David took everything with him and said that it was his spoil.  We will find that he restored everything to his men that they had lost and didn't just keep it all for himself.  Matthew Henry says that David could have said this to point out how wrong the people had been when they sought to stone him.  When we have victory over the world today, we need to give God the glory and never attempt to claim that glory or rewards for ourselves. 

1 Samuel 30:1

1 Samuel 30:1 says, 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;  Three days later, when David and his men got back to Ziklag, it had been burned to the ground by the Amalekites in his absence.  Our enemies today will take advantage of every opportunity to harm us when they see the opportunity.  We must stay alert to the best of our ability at all times, led by the Holy Spirit.  Verse two adds, 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.  Not only had the Amalekites burned the city to the ground, they. Had taken the women and children captive.  David had made enemies of the Amalekites and had left his city without proper defenses when he had gone to join the Philistines in their battle against Israel, his own people.  If we join the battle against God's people, who are are own people as Christians today, we will leave our families without proper defenses against those that would destroy them.  Still, as Matthew Henry points out, if Saul had done as he should have and had destroyed all the Amalekites, this wouldn't have been a problem.  We cannot allow certain sins to remain in our life as followers of Christ, but we must work to destroy them all.  Verse three continues, So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captive.  When David and his men returned to the city, they saw what had happened.  The city was buried to the ground and their women and children had been taken captive.  If we stray away from God, we may find our families have also become captives of sin.  If we are not faithful to God, we should not expect them to be.  Verse four states, Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. David and those with him cried until they could cry no more.  If we have strayed away from God, and I don't believe God would have ever approved of David fighting for the Philistines, when we see the devastation that it can cause, then we should cry until we can cry no more, but we first need to ask for God's forgiveness and guidance.  Verse five  adds, And David’s two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.  David’s two wives were among those taken captive.  Though I don't think we can defend David having two wives, we can expect that he would have put their safety above his loyalty to the Philistines.  Even if we are guilty of some other sin, as Christians we must put the safety of our family first under God's guidance.  Verse six continues, And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.  David was distressed, and the people were ready to stone him,blaming him for what had happened.  They may have been willing to follow David into battle, but when things went wrong they were also ready to stone him.  Some people may be willing to stand with us in our fight against evil in the world today until it costs them something personally and then they may turn against us.  David then did what he should have been doing all along and that was to turn to God for guidance and encouragement, and we should do the same today.  Verse seven says, And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.  David asked Abiathar the priest to bring him the ephod which contained the urim and thummin used to seek God's guidance.  We as Christians today just have to turn to the Holy Spirit for guidance.  Verse eight adds, And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.  This time, unlike when he left to join the Philistines, David asked God if he should pursue the Amalekites, and God answered that not only should he pursue them, but He gave David assurance that he would recover everything.  When we return to God after straying away, spiritually we will, recover everything important, which is being in fellowship with God.  Verse nine continues, So David went, he and the six hundred men that were with him, and came to the brook Besor, where those that were left behind stayed.  David and his six hundred men caught up to the rear forces at the brook Besor. Verse ten concludes, But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.  David went on with just four hundred men, since two hundred were too weak to go on.  If not physically, then at least spiritually, we may find that some who have been with us n the fight against evil become to weak to carry on.  We should not allow this to keep us from continuing the fight under the guidance and power of God.  

1 Samuel 29:1

1 Samuel 29:1 says, Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek: and the Israelites pitched by a fountain which is in Jezreel. Both armies were gathered together to go to war with each other.  We may not like to admit it, but we are at war with Satan and his forces today, and we need to always be ready to engage in the battle under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse two adds, And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds, and by thousands: but David and his men passed on in the rereward with Achish.  The Philistines passed by in hundreds and thousands.  This was a large, organized army.  David was in a bad situation.  He was ready to go to war against his own people out of loyalty to Achish, but if he did and Saul was killed in the battle, then the people of Israel would say he was just out to kill Saul so that he could claim the throne.  Remaining neutral would have brought his courage into question.  We can not just remain neutral in the battle against evil today.  Verse three continues, Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day? The Philistines asked what David and his men, who were Hebrews and therefore the enemy, were doing in the camp of the Philistines.  Achish said it was David, who had never done anything to harm him.  We might be safe in the enemy camp today, but that doesn't mean that we should be or that they will ever truly trust and respect us.  Verse four states, 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?  The other Philistine leaders told Achish to send David back to where he had been staying.  They were afraid that in the battle David might decide to be loyal to Saul and fight against them from within.  They were providing David with a way out of his dilemma without even realizing it.  Of course, I believe that God was at work in the situation, just as He will be in any situation that we find ourselves in today, even if it is of our own making.  Verse five adds, Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?  They pointed out that David had killed many more Philistines than Saul had, not to mention killing Goliath when Saul was afraid to face him.  As Christians we should be known for standing up to the forces of evil today.  Verse six continues, 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.  Achish called David and told him that he had always been upright in his dealings with him,and then said that the lords of the Philistines didn't favor David being in the battle.  Of course, David had done some things that Achish did not know about.  I believe that we as followers of Christ should always be open and honest in our dealings with the people of the world, but even if we are, some are still going to see us as a threat, whether we really are or not.  Verse seven says, Wherefore now return, and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines.  Achish told David to return to where he had been staying and to go in peace.  He told David to do this so that the lords of the Philistines would not be displeased.  God was providing David with a way out, even if He may not have been behind David’s decision to go to the Philistines to start with.  As Christians, if we get ourselves into a bad situation, as long a we remain faithful to God, He will be at work to get us out of it.  Verse eight adds, And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?  David swore loyalty to Achish, calling him his lord and king and asking what he had ever done to make Achish distrust him.  It seems that even though David would not kill Saul when he twice had the chance that he was willing to go to war against his own people.  I don't believe this was something that God would have ever endorsed, just as He doesn't endorse His people being at war with each other today.  If we are, we are helping the enemies of God.  Verse nine continues, And Achish answered and said to David, I know that thou art good in my sight, as an angel of God: notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, He shall not go up with us to the battle.  Achish said he knew David had been faithful to him, but the rest of the lords of the Philistines didn't want David in the battle with them.  It would be a good thing if those who oppose God would see us as a threat to them, even while we are in their midst and haven't really done anything to harm them.  Verse ten states, Wherefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master’s servants that are come with thee: and as soon as ye be up early in the morning, and have light, depart.  Achish told David to get up early the next day and take his men and leave.  Verse eleven adds, So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning, to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.  David and his men got up early and returned to where they had been staying in the land of  the Philistines, who went up to Jezreel to get ready to make war against Israel.  Again, I don't believe that we as Christians should ever be hiding out in the enemy camp, even if we are physically safe there.  In the war with the enemies of God comes, we need to be standing firmly with our fellow Christians. 

1 Samuel 28:15

1 Samuel 28:15 says, And Samuel said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up? And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do.  Though we are told Samuel answered Saul and asked him what he wanted, we know that it really wasn't Samuel.  Even if the spirits of the dead could be called back, which they cannot, the spirits of the righteous wouldn't be called back by witches.  Saul then told him about the Philistines coming and his being unable to find a prophet or to hear from God what to do.  Had Saul truly repented and trusted God, he wouldn't have had this problem.  Verse sixteen adds, Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD is departed from thee, and is become thine enemy?  Even though this wasn't Samuel, Saul was asked a good question.  If Saul was outside of God's will, then why did he think Samuel who was dead was going to be able to answer him.  If we have turned our back on God and He is not answering us, no one living or dead is going to be able to tell us what God would have us do, other than to repent and ask His forgiveness.  Verse seventeen continues, And the LORD hath done to him, as he spake by me: for the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given it to thy neighbour, even to David:  Again, as Matthew Henry says, this apparition told Saul what Samuel had already told him God had said.  The kingdom was going to be taken from him, but God had not said it was going to be given to the Philistines, but to David.  This apparition never mentioned repentance nor God's mercy to those who do repent, but only added to Saul’s fear.  The people of the world are never going to point us to God and His forgiveness, but will always portray Him in a negative way.  Verse eighteen states, Because thou obeyedst not the voice of the LORD, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.  This spirit seemed to know a lot about Saul, just as Satan knows a lot about Christians and their weaknesses today.  When we are attacked by Satan it will be at our weakest point and designed to lead us away from doing God's will or even seeking His forgiveness.  Verse nineteen adds, Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines: and to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me: the LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines.  Saul was told tomorrow, which Matthew Henry says meant soon and not necessarily the very next day, that the Philistines would be victorious and Saul and his sons would be killed.  This just made Saul even more afraid.  I don't believe that God will ever tell us things that make us more afraid if we are truly followers of Christ, and even the gospel is not deigned to make us afraid but to lead us to salvation, hope and a fearlessness in the face of adversity.  Verse twenty says, Then Saul fell straightway all along on the earth, and was sore afraid, because of the words of Samuel: and there was no strength in him; for he had eaten no bread all the day, nor all the night.  When Saul heard this ,he fell to the ground, partly in fear and partly because he had eaten nothing all day.  Fear can keep us from eating or sleeping if we allow it to, making us even more susceptible to the lies of Satan.  Verse twenty-one adds, And the woman came unto Saul, and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hand, and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spakest unto me.  The woman came to Saul and said she had put her life in his hands by doing what he asked, and she may have really thought she had.  There are still people in the world today who think they have some sort of psychic ability, and there are also people who believe them.  Verse twenty-two continues, Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength, when thou goest on thy way.   She then begged Saul to let her feed him before he left.  Whatever she was, she did have compassion for Saul and wanted to feed him so that his strength would return.  Even those who are living contrary to God's word can have compassion on others.  Verse twenty-three states, But he refused, and said, I will not eat. But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth, and sat upon the bed.   Saul at first refused to eat, but his servants and the woman compelled him to eat.  Saul was the king of Israel, but he was so weak physically that he had to be compelled to eat, but he was even weaker spiritually and there was no Bread of Life in his eating the food.  Having our physical needs met is never going to feed and strengthen us spiritually.  Verse fourteen adds, And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hasted, and killed it, and took flour, and kneaded it, and did bake unleavened bread thereof:  The woman to her credit prepared a good meal for Saul.  It is possible she was doing this out of fear that Saul might decide to banish or kill her, but whatever her motive, she was concerned about Saul.  Verse twenty-five continues, And she brought it before Saul, and before his servants; and they did eat. Then they rose up, and went away that night.  She fed Saul and his servants, and they went away that night.  Saul may have been physically strengthened, but he was spiritually weaker than ever.  We may be physically strengthened today while at the same time being spiritually starving.

1 Samuel 28:7

1 Samuel 28:7 says, Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.  Saul couldn't get an answer from God, so he told his servants to find a witch, though he had banished all of them.  I believe the only prayer that God hears from those who are not his people spiritually is the prayer of repentance asking for forgiveness.  People will always be looking for answers elsewhere when they don't acknowledge God.  Saul was told that there was a witch at Endor.  Verse eight adds, And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.  Saul went to her in disguise at night.  He didn't want people to know what he was doing evidently and he may have also thought she would be afraid of him if she knew who he was.  People still often want to go disguised in the darkness of night seeking answers to life's problems instead of going into the light of Christ where they can be found.  Verse nine continues, And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?  The woman asked Saul if he knew of Saul's edict to cut off all those who had a familiar spirit from the land and asked if he were trying to trap her so that she too would die.  Either she didn't recognize Saul and thought that he was someone who was sent to get her to reveal that she was a witch, or she did recognize him and wanted to find out his motive for coming to her.  Matthew Henry points out that she was more afraid of Saul's edict than she was of God's law.  Many people today are still the same way, more afraid of man's laws than God's laws.  Verse ten states, And Saul sware to her by the LORD, saying, As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing.  Saul made an oath to God that nothing would happen to her because of her doing what she asked him to do.  Of course, since Saul no longer really put his faith in God, invoking His name in the oath really meant very little.  If people don't believe in God today, they make take oaths or make vows invoking His name, but they really have no meaning.  A person cannot swear by the name of God if they don't believe in Him and are not spiritually a part of His family and it have any real meaning.  Verse eleven adds, Then said the woman, Whom shall I bring up unto thee? And he said, Bring me up Samuel.  The woman then asked Saul who he wanted her to bring up, and he said Samuel.  Instead of repenting and going to the God of the living, Saul had was seeking God's will among the dead.  The woman really couldn't call up Samuel after he died, and no one can call up the dead today though many claim to have that ability.  We do all have the ability to call on the Living God by faith though.  Verse twelve says, And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me? for thou art Saul.  The woman at least thought she had called up Samuel, but as Matthew Henry points out, Satan is the great deceiver and can make things appear to be true that aren't.  Still, the vision she saw revealed to her who Saul was.  This would at least lead Saul to believe that she was in contact with the spirits of the dead.  She was still more afraid of Saul than she was of God.  Too many people still fear earthly authorities more than they fear God.  Verse thirteen says, And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what sawest thou? And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods ascending out of the earth.  When Saul told her not to be afraid, she then said that she saw gods ascending out of the earth.  Of course, we know that there is but one God, and He is in Heaven and not buried in the earth.  Verse fourteen adds, And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself.  Saul asked her what the person she had called up looked like, and she said he was an old man covered with a mantle.  Of course, living in Israel and having been told by Saul to bring up Samuel, it would have been easy for her to describe what he looked like whether she saw anything or not.  Saul believed this to be Samuel, and he stooped himself to the ground before the woman.  Of course, we as Christians are never to worship anyone, living or dead, except for God Himself.  We never have to go to anyone else to speak to God for us.  As a matter of fact, if we do, then we really don't understand Who Jesus Christ is and what He did for us.  If we put our faith in Him, we have direct access to God, because the Holy Spirit indwells us.  Saul would have had that same access had he repented and turned to God by faith.

1 Samuel 28:1

1 Samuel 28:1 says, And it came to pass in those days, that the Philistines gathered their armiestogether for warfare, to fight with Israel.  And Achish said to David,  Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men.   After some time, the Philistines gathered to go to war with Israel, and Achish asked David if he was not surely going to fight on the side of the Philistines and him against Israel.  If we are pretending to be on the side of the world today, we should not be surprised if they expect us to fight on their side against God.  Verse two adds, And David said to Achish, Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do. And Achish said to David, Therefore will I make thee keeper of mine head for ever.  David didn't really tell Achish that he would fight against Israel, but simply said Achish was aware 0of what he could do.  Achish took David’s answer as a yes, and told David he would put him in charge of a lot of his troops.  Matthew Henry said Achish was going to make David like a prime minister.  Though I don't believe that God expects us to lie about our intentions of whether or not we as followers of Christ support someone or some action that goes against God and His law, at times we might be okay in allowing them to draw their own conclusions.  Of course, this should never include allowing them to think that we are not a follower of Christ.  Verse three states, Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him, and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those that had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land.  We are reminded that Samuel was dead and buried, and Saul had driven all those who practiced witchcraft out of Israel.  Matthew Henry says this could have been early in Saul’s reign when he was still listening to Samuel and following God, but that it seemed to be a more recent event, possibly brought about by Saul fearing that he was under the influence of evil spirits himself.  It is possible for those who do not believe in God to do good things, even if they are done for the wrong reason.  Verse four adds, And the Philistines gathered themselves together, and came and pitched in Shunem: and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched in Gilboa.  The two armies gathered their forces.  Matthew Henry also points out that Saul would not have been having this problem had he been obedient to God.  The Philistines would have already been destroyed, but Saul had spent most of his time chasing David.  We may be forced to fight battles today that we never would have had if we had only been obedient to God instead of chasing our own desires or being driven by our own fears.  Verse five continues, And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart greatly trembled.  When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was very afraid.  This was because the Spirit of God had left him because of his disobedience to God.  As long aswe are following the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we have no reason to be afraid, no matter how big the enemy may seem.  Verse six concludes, And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.  When Saul inquired of God, God didn't answer him.  Of course, part of the problem may have been that Saul had killed so many priests that there was no one near him to go to God for him.  If God is not answering our prayers today because we have strayed away from Him, we need to hope that we have our fellow Christians interceding for us.  Of course, I also believe that if we repent and ask God's forgiveness, He will always hear our prayers, no matter how far away we have strayed. I believe this was still possible for Saul, but he never did.  God had not just arbitrarily rejected Saul, but Saul had rejoiced God and was still thinking only about himself. 

1 Samuel 27:8

1 Samuel 27:8 says, And David and his men went up, and invaded the Geshurites, and the Gezrites, and the Amalekites: for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt. After being given a city to operate from, David and his men began to make war against those around him.  These were enemies of Israel that Matthew Henry says were so evil that God had already decided on their destruction and that David was ordained to destroy them.  In my understanding of God's word, we as followers of Christ today are not called on to destroy any group of people, even if they are our enemies, but like Jesus Himself are to reach out to them with the love of God.  This is not to say that at times we may not find ourselves having to go to war with them to keep God's word from being destroyed.  Verse nine adds, And David smote the land, and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep, and the oxen, and the asses, and the camels, and the apparel, and returned, and came to Achish.  David and his men killed all the people of the Geshurites and Gezrites and took all their possessions.  They may have needed these things, but we are not told that David consulted God before doing this.  Just because we see someone as an enemy and may need what they have doesn't mean that it is God's will for us to attack them and take it.  Verse ten continues, And Achish said, Whither have ye made a road to day? And David said, Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites.  When Achish asked David where he had been fighting, he lied to him.  David said he had been fighting against his own people.  Matthew Henry said David may have lied to keep the Philistines from fearing him and also to make Achish think his actions would have made the people of Israel hate him.  I don't believe there is ever a time when we as Christians can make people think we hate and have been attacking other Christians just to keep ourselves safe.  If we are following God's will in what we do, we need to be honest about what we are doing.  Verse eleven states, 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.  David had killed everyone so there would be  no one left to take the news of what he had done to the Philistines.  David certainly wasn't acting like an honorable man of God in this whole situation.  I believe that we as followers of Christ must act honorably in all that we do.  Otherwise,  God's name could be disparaged.  Verse twelve adds, And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.  Achish believed David,  and saw what he thought David had done as giving him an advantage over David.  Achish said David’s own people would hate him, and David would be his servant forever.  Though lying brought about a good result for David, that does not mean that it was justified before God.  We need to remember that Satan is the father of lies and God is the God of truth.