Last week we saw how Abigail saved
all the men in their household from certain death, because she was
prepared to humble herself and to give what she had to David and
his men. She was a peacemaker in a dire situation. She allowed God
to use her in a mighty way. In the end her actions was rewarded.
She saved their household and became the wife of David.
David was however still in hiding.
He was in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul heard about this. Apparently
he totally forgot about the previous time that David saved his
life. He was back in full force, with three thousand men to kill
David and his men. David sent spies and they confirmed that Saul
was encamped close to them. David went himself and saw Saul and his
commander Abner, lying asleep within the camp. He and Abishai crept
closer. Saul's spear was stuck in the ground by his head and
everyone was sleeping. Abishai immediately said that they should
kill him. But once again David prevented him:
"Do not destroy him: for who
can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed and be
guiltless? As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him." 1 Samuel
26:9, 10
David was honorable once again. He
trusted God without any doubt. He didn't hurt Saul, but he took his
spear and the jug of water by Saul's head. God helped them during
this process as the Bible tells us that God had made them all fall
into a deep sleep. When David was far enough away he called out to
the people sleeping. Saul immediately recognized the voice of David
and repented once again when he realized that David could have
killed him again and yet he saved the life of King Saul. Saul again
realized that the mighty hand of God was upon David.
Saul stopped chasing David for that
moment, but David knew that it wouldn't last long before he chased
him again. And he was right. So David fled to the land of the
Philistines as he knew that Saul won't come to look for him
there.
Saul didn't learn his lesson. He
has experienced time and time again that God was with David, he
even spoke about it how he saw that God was with David. And yet he
didn't give up pursuing David, trying to kill him. Saul was in fact
fighting against the will of God and of course he never succeeded.
And in the process he made his own life miserable. He could have
been home in luxury as king and here he was running after David
from the one wilderness to the next. It was not the most
comfortable of places, evn if you were king. And yet he did it to
himself.
We might also be fighting against
the will of God in our lives. And in the process we might be in the
wilderness where things are not as comfortable. It is solely our
choice to be there. We could have been 'most comfortable at home',
but because we chose to fight against God's plan for our lives we
are struggling. It made me think of Jonah again. He also fought
against the will of God. He didn't want to go to Nineveh, so he
travelled in exactly the opposite direction. And we all know how
that turned out for him.
Rather learn from Saul. Learn that
it doesn't help to fight against what God want for you. I believe a
lot of suffering in the world is because people are rebelling
against what they know God wants them to do. They ignore Him
instead and rather follow the fleeting pleasures of sin. And before
they know it heartache and pain have knocked at the door.
Do not be like that. Do what you
find before you to the best of your ability and then as the cross
roads come, place it before God and allow Him to lead you. He will,
He wants to, you are His special child. Do not fight Him, but
rather walk with Him. It is a very special road.
Father thank you that we can know
that Your plan for our lives are the best. We don't always
understand and we don't always know why it would be the best for
us, but You see the bigger picture. You see way into our future and
will provide for us. We love You. Amen