I started this year saying that we would seek peace. Perhaps I should have gone with ‘Pursue Peace’ as it is my objective, and I hope, yours too. Seeking is merely looking for something, whereas pursuing is to seek it out and capture it. I want to capture peace and make it mine.

Psalm 34

Psalm 34 is ripe with verses extolling the provision and care that God has toward us and in the midst of that we find these verses that urge us to turn from evil and seek peace. Psalm 34, verse 12 to 14 (NIV) say ‘Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.’ Why is this in the midst of such praise and worship?

Interestingly, the psalm includes the occasion of its writing at the opening. It is a psalm written by David ‘when he pretended to be insane before Abimelek, who drove him away, and he left.(NIV)’  So, David has been caught sneaking into another’s territory and pretends to be insane to escape disaster. The story is in 1 Samuel 21; David is running from Saul and goes to Gath. Yes, it is before the king of Gath that he pretends to be insane. Yes, Gath, as in the place that Goliath was from. In fact, the servants of the king sing the little ditty about how Saul slayed thousands and David tens of thousands. So, David understood that being hauled in front of the king, freshly reminded of who David was and what he had done, put him between a rock and a hard place. Pursued by Saul and facing the king of Gath, David feigned insanity. Good idea? I would question the decision. Is pretending any different than lying? Is it acceptable to pretend in order to avoid capture, potential torture or ransom to King Saul, who sent war parties after him?  In the end it worked, and David escaped.

Praise in seeking peace

In praise to God, David composed psalm 34. For having delivered him from literal war, he praised God and urged us to seek and pursue peace. Oh, how often have we instead dug in and said ‘not until he apologizes will I see him again’ or ‘I just can’t see her after what she said about me’? David put on the face of peace and succeeded in creating it. He sought peace and found it. By the skin of his teeth.

Look a madman

Seeking peace will not be easy, and may at times make us look like fools, as David was called a madman. But I take comfort in that, because we know that the ways of God are not our ways (Is 55:8), so maybe it will be through Him that peace comes and not through me. Seeking and pursuing peace. Pursue peace, even at the risk of looking a madman, just like David.