1 Samuel 19:18,19

Now David fled and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and stayed in Naioth.

1 Samuel 19:18

God does not intend for his people to stand alone against adversity.

David was on the run from the wrath of Saul. He could have fled to any number of places, but he chose to seek out Samuel. Perhaps unconsciously, David’s heart led him to the one place in all Israel where he would be safe. Saul had been a student of Samuel and surely the king would respect the prophet. Why didn’t David go home? Well, it was the most obvious place for Saul to look and, most likely, David had no desire to bring trouble upon his family. Besides, his family wasn’t known for its spiritual maturity. Perhaps they still had a hard time with David’s rapid rise to prominence.

Some sources indicate that David had been instructed for a time by Samuel in Ramah. If so, it would have been natural for David to seek refuge there. We know that Samuel kept a school for the “prophets” in that town. This may have been a kind of educational institution, but more likely it was a group of men dedicated to the service of the Lord – something like a monastery. The “Naioth” were dwellings, perhaps dormitories for the students. So, after David had recounted all of Saul’s actions, Samuel and David went up to the “campus.” Samuel knew that David needed the company of God’s people, and so he brought him to the prophets.

The point here is that help and safety are found in the company of God’s people. God didn’t intend for us to stand alone against the world, the flesh and the devil. Rather, He “adds” His people to churches (Acts 2:47) because He knows we need the mutual support and accountability. We live in an excessively individualistic culture that sees little need for community. We try to hide our troubles and handle them on our own. And the superficial relationships that many people have with fellow Christians discourage transparency and hinder mutual ministry. David provides us with a valuable lesson because he was not afraid to admit he needed a refuge. With his heart for God, David instinctively knew that he needed godly support at this time. When in trouble, he ran to God’s people.

Where do you run when you’re in trouble – especially spiritual trouble? The common reaction is to run away from the church. Many believers don’t want God’s people to know that they’re having a difficult time with temptation or that they are struggling with sin. They fear that they will appear “unspiritual” and that other Christians will look down on them. Many struggling believers think they need to “get their act together” before they return to church. So often churches are viewed as places where people display their righteousness instead of being places where sinners (like you and me) can find help and safety. After all, who else should be your counselors and comforters? Even the Apostle Paul, with all his spiritual maturity, regularly asked for prayer from and sought out the ministry of God’s people. And wasn’t it one of the most difficult parts of Christ’s passion that He was left alone?

There was a time when a church building was considered a “refuge” – inviolate even for the civil authorities. There, the laws of Christ’s Kingdom prevailed, not the laws of the land. Often in those days, those unjustly accused would find refuge there. But it’s not the building; it’s the people of God who are to be the true refuge. They are your family, your support group. They are the ones to whom you can unburden yourself and from whom you ought to receive comfort and encouragement. (2 Cor. 1, Gal. 6:2) Whether in sin or adversity, the church ought to be our first resort, not our last.

May God give us hearts that are merciful and churches where we, as the people of God, provide a place of safety and encouragement for those in adversity. And in good times and bad, may Christ’s church be our refuge.