1 Samuel 18 – 20; Psalm 11, and 59

Posted on Apr 13, 2016 in Reading the Bible in 2016 |

Wednesday  

Saul has begun to realize that his foolish actions in the past, his pride and vanity, have cost him his kingdom, now he will find out that his jealousy and envy of David will cost him everything. Jealousy can sure be an ugly thing. Saul is going to learn that his jealousy of David will only hurt him. Has jealousy or envy caused you pain?

I wonder just when Saul realized that God loved David more than him. That the people loved David more than him, that his own son Jonathan and his daughter Michal loved David more than him. How devastating that must have been. David only wanted to prove himself before his king and to serve God. Jonathan finds himself in a difficult situation. Scripture tells us that we should obey our fathers and mothers, we should be respectful and helpful (Ephesians 6:1-3), yet when our parents ask us to do something that is contrary to God’s laws, God’s laws should always be obeyed. I think the same holds true with man’s laws as well. What do we do if man’s rules and/or regulations call us to disobey God’s commands? The answer is simple. Always follow God. The answer is simple, the consequences may be very difficult.

 Jonathan disobeys his father and helps David escape. I love the strong bond of friendship that developed between David and Jonathan. Jonathan saw God’s chosen in David, even to the point of going against his own father, and subsequently giving up his position that would have in human efforts, placed him on the throne. Jonathan didn’t seek any of that and only asked that David would treat his children kindly in the future. A promise that David will keep when he invites Mephibosheth to live in his palace.

 Why Saul could not see the benefit of accepting David, but rather chose to allow his hatred to consume him only shows us how these negative feelings can also affect our lives.

 We also were given two psalms to read today. These psalms were written by David, quite possibly as he was being chased by Saul and forced into hiding. Even though David is experiencing the injustice that Saul has created, he still understands that God is in control. And he puts his trust in God.

“But I will sing of your strength, in the morning, I will sing of your love for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble.” (Psalm 59:16)

 Can I have an AMEN!

 Blessings on the day!

Pastor Kathy

Leave a Reply