READ: 1 Samuel 24
What a story! This account
shows David to be a man of high integrity. And, in fact, this story is a great
contrast to the actions of Saul in the previous chapter. Saul was flippantly
claiming God’s name over his sinful actions. Here in chapter 24 we see David
doing the exact opposite – he is so careful not
to claim just any opportunity as a “sign” from God.
What many would see as an
opportunity from heaven, David saw as a test from His God. Even in the middle
of great trial David could look beyond his circumstances at what He knew about
God and righteous living. David did not seek to squeeze God’s will into his
desires; rather he sought to conform his desires and his thinking to the will
of God. Though many around him encouraged him to take Saul’s life, David was
able to step out of the intensity of the moment and remember that God was his
Defender, Protector, and Sovereign Lord.
David had such integrity, such
reliance on the Lord and patience for His timing. Samuel had long anointed
David the future king of Israel. It was even somewhat normal for kings to be
assassinated by their successors – at first glance this event in the cave might
seem providential. But God desires that His people trust and depend on Him.
David knew that to kill the man that God had appointed king of Israel would be
sin; it would be an act of rebellion, taking his own future into his own hands.
But David knew that his future kingship was going to be God’s doing – David had
no familial claim to the throne, and he would not take the throne by force; we
would remain blameless. This patience and dependence is so admirable. David
shows a true relinquishing of his heart. He is OK to wait upon the Lord’s good
timing. He knows he has been sorely mistreated by King Saul – that he has been
shown terrible injustice – but he will not take matters into his own hands. He
will leave vengeance to the Lord.
This is the kind of sacrifice
that the Lord loves. He loves when His children lay down their “rights”, when
they die to the desires of the self and let God lead. When we do this, God can
take us to the deep and intimate places of His heart. He can trust that we will
handle well what He entrusts to us. David is willing to keep short accounts,
even swearing his protection over Saul’s family when he does one day enter into
his kingship. Anyone not submitted to the Lord would refuse to make such a
merciful promise. But David was not living for himself; his life as it was was
barely liveable and God was all he had.
We might wonder why God took
so long to establish David’s kingship. Why not just smite Saul down with a
plague and usher David in? There is much to be learned in the time of waiting
and the valley of testing. The hard soil of pride and self-reliance and
bitterness and so much more is broken up and, for those who cling to the Lord
in the waiting and testing, a rich, soft soil is cultivated. Let us be glad in
the deserts and valleys, knowing that our God is with us and has rich, fertile
plans for us.
JOURNALING AND PRAYER
1. What
does the Lord want to teach you personally from what you read today? Ask Him,
and spend some time dialoguing with Him in prayer.
2. Think
a little bit about your past. How has God used troublesome circumstances to
shape you for His glory? Write down the things He shows you and thank Him for
working through these situations to make you more like Him.
3. At
the core of the Christian life is a process called dying to self. Like David,
we need to lay down our “rights” and the desires of the sinful self in order to
let God lead. How might God be asking you to take your next step in dying to
self today? Ask Him to help you in this.
