1 Samuel 27:1-2
Then 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.” So David arose and went over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:10
And David rose and fled that day from Saul and went to Achish the king of Gath.

1 Samuel 21:11-13
And the servants of Achish said to him, “Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing to one another of him in dances, ‘Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands’?” And David took these words to heart and was much afraid of Achish the king of Gath. So he changed his behavior before them and pretended to be insane in their hands and made marks on the doors of the gate and let his spittle run down his beard.

1 Samuel 16:13
Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the LORD rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

1 Samuel 13:14
But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”

1 Samuel 26:10
And David said, “As the LORD lives, the LORD will strike him, or his day will come to die, or he will go down into battle and perish.

Psalm 142:5
I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”

1 Samuel 27:5-6
Then David said to Achish, “If I have found favor in your eyes, let a place be given me in one of the country towns, that I may dwell there. For why should your servant dwell in the royal city with you?” So that day Achish gave him Ziklag. Therefore Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah to this day.

BiG Idea: Check your

1 Samuel 27:8-11
Now David and his men went up and made raids against the Geshurites, the Girzites, and the Amalekites, for these were the inhabitants of the land from of old, as far as Shur, to the land of Egypt. And David would strike the land and would leave neither man nor woman alive, but would take away the sheep, the oxen, the donkeys, the camels, and the garments, and come back to Achish. When Achish asked, “Where have you made a raid today?” David would say, “Against the Negeb of Judah,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Jerahmeelites,” or, “Against the Negeb of the Kenites.” And David would leave neither man nor woman alive to bring news to Gath, thinking, “lest they should tell about us and say, ‘So David has done.’ ” Such was his custom all the while he lived in the country of the Philistines.

1 Samuel 27:12
And Achish trusted David, thinking, “He has made himself an utter stench to his people Israel; therefore he shall always be my servant.”

We check our hearts by…

Knowing God’s

The Word of Scripture should never stop sounding in your hearts and working in you all day long, just like the words of someone you love. And just as you do not analyze the words of someone you love, but accept them as they are said to you, accept the Word of Scriptures and ponder it in your heart, as Mary did … . Do not ask “How shall I pass this on?” but “What does this say to me?” Then ponder this word long in your heart until it has gone right into you and taken possession of you. - Dietrich Bonhoffer

John 8:31-32
So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?

Matthew 4:1
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Deuteronomy 10:20
You shall fear the LORD your God. You shall serve him and hold fast to him, and by his name you shall swear.

Ezekiel 36:26
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Jeremiah 32:39
I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them.

Romans 5:5
and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Galatians 4:6
And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!”

Knowing the God of the

John 1:14
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Don’t follow your heart, follow

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths

Next Steps:
Memorize: Proverbs 3:5-6
This week I will check my heart…
Other

Next Week: 1 Samuel 28