“For the Week”: Prof Ransford Gyampo

Beloved, because of many things that we have no control over, we all go through pressure in life and sometimes these pressures forces us to take decisions that compounds our problems. The passage for reading for the week, shows David at one of those days in his life when wrong decisions got the better of him. Jonathan had confirmed his suspicion that Saul was serious about killing him.

David, therefore, ran to Gath of all places, the home of Goliath, he had killed, to hide. The Philistines recognised him immediately and raised the alarm about his presence among them. So he was going to be arrested and killed too. But realizing his mistake and with no confidence in God to see him through this wrong turn, David decided to pretend that he could no longer coordinate himself. He changed his behaviour and exhibited signs of “madness” such that King Achish was convinced David was now mad and as a result drove him away from his presence.

Even though David’s “madness” was temporary, many of us today, are following his footsteps by taking decisions out of pressure, fear and discouragement. As children of God, the allowed pressures and difficulties on us are expected to drive us to pray and seek the face of God instead of doing any other thing including lying, giving-in to ungodly demands, revealing secrets that must be kept, resorting to idol worship and running helter-skelter.

We must not allow our seeming huge pressures and temporary challenges to make us take unwise decisions or compromise our convictions. When they are intense, let us remember Philippians 4:6-7 -“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.

It is easier for me to tell you this but the practicality of the word of God is what matters most. Considering the dangers of taking decisions out of pressure, let us wait and rather pray, for all decisions taken out of pressure without recourse to God, are a show of “madness”. The Lord help us all.