I Samuel 21:12
“David took these words to heart and greatly feared Achish king of Gath.”
This is the first I recall David showing fear. All the men of Israel were terrified of Goliath, but not David. King Achish was told that David was a great warrior for the enemy and here he is before us. David thought he would be killed.
David was such a giant in the faith, it would seem he would be fearless. We are witnessing a low moment for him. Elijah was also a hero of the faith who slipped into a fearful state. I Kings 18 & 19 gives the story of his showdown on Mount Carmel. Elijah with God's help wins and he puts to death the priests of Baal. Queen Jezebel passes on the message that she will put Elijah to death by this time tomorrow. He runs for his life and hides in a cave.
Elijah was certainly exhausted from the great contest. David probably was as well, as he had been hiding in the woods for days when he finds out Saul wants him dead. He and his men flee with limited supplies. They get some bread from a priest and further run to a foreign land and a foreign king.
Vince Lombardi said, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." These two holy men find themselves in that spot with a similar response. Both act in ways that seem uncustomary for them. It doesn't mean that they were wrong, it was a low spot. We feel what we feel. The Lord usually buoys us up with His presence and His joy. However, we will go through tough times where we are distressed.
Psalm 23 speaks of the times of life when the cup runs over, but also of going through the valley of the shadow of death. They are going through the latter and were full of fear.
The Lord gently draws Elijah out. After a night's sleep, God lets him see that doesn't only work in dramatic ways like in Mount Carmel, but as in the gentle wind. He further assures him that He is in control and the future is set. He concludes with setting up his retirement and replacement.
We will go through fearful times as well. We will be rattled and disoriented. Just as Psalm 23, it will be a dark valley. This psalmist says, "I will not fear, Thou art with me." That's the difference. Even our confused state, He is there. Even though it doesn't feel that way, He is there. He is still the captain of our ship and will steer us through the storm.
The Footprints poem tells it well. We may not sense He's there, but He is. More so, He carries us. For Elijah, the Lord shared with him the steps to take. While our situation is rarely that specific, He will guide us through.
Lord, thank You for being with us. In the good and bad times You are there. Thank You for walking us through them and making things better on the other side.