THE REWARDS OF FAITHFULNESS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?"

David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king." And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."

"Here is the king's spear," David answered. "Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today but I would not lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble."

Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and surely triumph."

So David went on his way and Saul returned home.

1 Samuel 26:17-25

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we did yesterday, we need to focus in on these key words from David as he addressed Saul, the king of Israel who was intent on killing him:

“The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness.”

We have just looked at the rewards associated with righteousness and today, we turn our attention to what the Lord gives in exchange of faithfulness. Those blessings include:

1. Protection.

“…for He (God) guards the course of the just and protects the way of His faithful ones.” Proverbs 2:8

“But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one.” 2 Thessalonians 3:3

When we faithfully serve the Lord in every way, then we experience His faithful service towards us as well…a faithful service that protects us in life. For each day, as we set forth to try and be faithful to God’s Word while following the lead of the Holy Spirit, we know that Satan, our enemy, is working hard to try and turn us away from righteousness and toward wickedness.

We can’t afford to let our faithfulness be compromised, not even for a moment, because all the enemy needs is a slight crack in our armor to slip into our heart and mind so to lead us astray and away from the Lord who will always keep us walking the narrow path to life (Matthew 7:13-14).

Thankfully, we serve a Lord who is our Refuge and Shelter, the One we can always run to when the enemy tries to attack. He is indeed our ever present help in times of trouble (Psalm 46:1)…the Divine, Omnipotent Protector of those who are faithful to Him.

2. Preservation.

“Love the Lord, all His saints! The Lord preserves the faithful, but the proud He pays back in full.” Psalm 31:23

So what does it mean to be preserved?

Well, in other translations of this verse, we find the following phrases used instead:

(a) “takes care of”

(b) ”watches over”

Taken in sum, these meanings open a window of understanding in regard to what the Lord is trying to say to us. For the faithful followers of the Lord are the ones who stay ever near to Him, the ones who invite Him into the very center of their beings…into their hearts, minds, and souls. And when the Lord is fully in one’s heart, mind, and soul, then they be assured they’ll be taken care of and watched over…faithfully preserved by the One they are faithful to.

The bottom line is that the Lord and Satan can’t co-exist in the same space. Faithfully fill yourself up with the Lord and there will be no room for the enemy to come calling. This is a deep comfort and peace for any believer, knowing that they have as faithful Guardian in the Lord who is ever with them to protect and preserve when we reciprocate faithfulness back to Him.

3. Love.

“Love and faithfulness meet together…” Psalm 85:10

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:36-38

If we are truly going to serve the Lord faithfully, we must do so fully and without compromise. We have to be willing to love him with every ounce of our being…with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength just as He loves us.

And when we do this, serving Him in full faithfulness, then and only then can we discover the fullness of the love He has for us…and more richly develop our love and appreciation for Him…our faithful Lord who protects and preserves…all out of love.

4. Fear of the Lord.

"Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord.” Joshua 24:14

There is no debating that the Lord deserves and expects our full respect and devotion. After all, we wouldn’t even exist (or continue existing) if it wasn’t for Him. The only reason we’re alive…me writing this and you hopefully reading it later…is because He has willed it to happen. For we never should forget that He is in control of all things, the Maker and Master of the created.

And so when we serve God faithfully, we’re not to do it out of a sense of compulsion but rather a willing spirit that puts our heartfelt gratitude, reverence, and faithfulness on full display…before Him and others.

As we serve Him faithfully, we don’t need to wonder what He wants from us for His word fully instructs us and is illuminated by the Holy Spirit. And so as long as we live in complete obedience to the Lord and His desires, then we need not fear Him because we are living a righteous life that He favors. We can’t afford to stray from this life mindset because there is always risk involved when we choose to step onto the path of unfaithfulness. I say this because the Lord God Almighty, the all powerful God who rules and reigns over all things, does not take kindly to being slighted or disrespected. Those who understand the importance of faithfulness toward God understand those risks and adopt whatever measures necessary to live in a way that is favorable and pleasing in His sight.

5. Blessedness.

“A faithful man will be richly blessed…” Proverbs 28:20

When we serve the Lord faithfully, we experience His love, grace, and mercy to the fullest…and this brings our lives to a place that is dominated by joy and happiness…contentment and peace.

What an awesome life it is when we get to experience the full measure of His blessings!

So what rewards do we gain from choosing to follow the Lord faithfully?

Protection, preservation, love, a healthy respect and reverence for the Lord, and all of His richest blessings.

My brothers and sisters, there’s no doubt that God requires us to faithful. Reinforced by His Word and the work of the Holy Spirit, we must have an airtight faithfulness if we’re going to truly show ourselves as God followers. There’s equally no doubt that the only way we can be faithful God followers is to model the life of Jesus, the only human being who ever lived perfectly…the only One who is The Way and The Truth and The Life…the only One who can bring us to God the Father (John 14:6).

Yes…God’s word tells us that He rewards righteousness and faithfulness…and over the past two messages, we have examined the scriptures revealing the rewards we can expect. But as we do this, let’s not overlook the greatest reward that God has ever given, the gift of His Son and our Savior, Jesus. For had He not come and die in our place, purchasing our pardon by paying the sin debt owed on Calvary’s cross, we would have no hope today and all the righteousness and faithfulness in the world wouldn’t bring us salvation.

For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Today and every day, let’s show our appreciation for all God has done by committing ourselves to righteousness and faithfulness each and every day…the righteousness and faithfulness that He favors and rewards.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

THE REWARDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

** Become a Follower of The Christian Walk at http://the-christian-walk.blogspot.com

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Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?"

David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king." And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."

"Here is the king's spear," David answered. "Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble."

Then Saul said to David, "May you be blessed, my son David; you will do great things and surely triumph."

So David went on his way and Saul returned home.

1 Samuel 26:17-25

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

In our passage for today, we find David asking Saul whether his motivation to kill him was coming from the Lord or himself. This moment of self reflection for Israel’s king caused him to realize that he was chasing after his own will and, in doing so, sinned against God. And so we see where he sought and then received David’s forgiveness for acting like a fool and erring greatly.

With this, David returns Saul’s sword to him and then says something very powerful…something that Saul needed to hear…as well as all other believers. Look again at his words here:

“The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness”.

Friends, as we live this thing called life every day, it isn’t hard to understand what the Lord wants from us. Thankfully, there isn’t some complex series of actions we need to complete in order to gain His favor. Rather, as summed up nicely by David, all God expects is that we exercise righteousness and faithfulness, rewarding us when we commit ourselves to both.

Let’s spend a moment seeing what each of these entails so we understand what we should be doing…and then look at the blessings the Lord provides for simply obeying His simple demands.

First, how does one live in a way that would be considered righteous by God?

Well, if we went to the dictionary, we would learn that being righteous means to act in accordance with divine or moral law…to be free from guilt or sin…to be morally right or justifiable. This is a good place to start in knowing how we’re to think, speak, and act as we seek to please our Lord…the Lord who wants us to live in obedience to the scriptures. And to help us do that, He has also given us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who serves as our Divine Advisor and Counselor…an emissary from God the Father to keep His children living right and away from sin.

Or in other words, living in righteousness.

So to remain in God’s favor, we only need to turn to His Word, carry out its instructions, and surrender ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Do this, and we will be living righteously and therefore become worthy of His reward.

The scriptures also tell us that the Lord blesses those who exercise faithfulness in the way they live for Him.

What does it mean to live in faithfulness?

Once again turning to the dictionary, we see that a faithful person is one who is steadfast in affection or allegiance…one who is firm in adherence to promises or in observance of duty…one who is true to a standard.

Indeed, the Lord expects us to be steadfast and unwavering in our affection and allegiance to Him…loyal and loving to Him, just as He is to us. And so when we pledge to follow His ways and turn from sin, He expects that we’ll keep that promise…just as He always keeps His promises to us.

In other words, if we want to be fully faithful to the Lord…we have to model the faithfulness He shows us. If we do this, then we can be assured that we will be living a life of loyalty to the One who is most worthy of it…and position ourselves in a place to receive His rewards.

OK…so we know we’re to strive and ever seek to succeed in living in righteousness and faithfulness…and we know the Lord blesses both.

So what rewards can we expect to receive?

Well, God’s word tells us all we need to know.

In this message, we’re going to look at the Lord’s list of rewards for righteous living because God’s word assures us that “…he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward” (Proverbs 11:18).

1. Peace.

“…righteousness and peace kiss each other.” Psalm 85:10

“The fruit of righteousness will be peace; the effect of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever.” Isaiah 32:17

How much do you yearn for peace to be in your life?

Indeed, immersed in the day-to-day pressures of family and work, as well as other obligations and/or challenges one might have, things can be chronically chaotic and fast moving…so much so that there seems to be little time to for quiet.

This is why the Lord gave us all a two-verse prescription for peace (Philippians 4:6-7)…and when we dedicate ourselves to follow His Word and way, then that Word, illuminated and reinforced by the power of the Holy Spirit will lead us to true peace….a peace that transcends all understanding. To get there, we simply are told to surrender all our worries, anxieties, stresses, and fears to God, the only One powerful enough to handle them.

And so in sum, when we live in righteousness while partnering with the Lord to do so, He rewards us with peace.

2. Obedience

“Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” Romans 6:16

Here, God’s Word is crystal clear.

Obedience leads us to righteousness and so we need to make sure we are always living in accordance with God’s Word and will. To that end, committing ourselves to behave righteously in all we do will help ensure we remain obedient to what the Lord desires.

And so we need to see that obedience and righteousness go hand in hand with each other.

Want to be obedient? Live righteously in the Lord’s sight.

Want to be righteous? Live obediently through following God’s Word.

3. The ministry of the Spirit.

“Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!” 2 Corinthians 3:7-9

When we live righteously, conscientiously striving to be free of sin through obedience to the Lord’s will and way, then we are rewarded with the ministry of the Holy Spirit who is always there to guide us, comfort us, convict us, protect us, and love us…no matter what.

And just as we see in these three verses, what a glorious ministry this is…the ministry of the Spirit that is granted to us as a reward for our righteousness by God.

4. Discipline.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:11

Now I can almost hear you saying, “Wait a minute! Discipline is a reward?”

It is when we consider discipline as it was meant to be.

For when we think of discipline, we think of punishment, an improper definition of the word that has been etched on our brains since childhood. But when we really look at the root meaning of the word “discipline” (derived from the Latin word “disciplina”), we see that it doesn’t mean to punish but rather to teach.

Using this, we can understand that when we willingly receive the Lord’s teaching…teaching that at times needs to be correctional in nature…we are led to righteous living.

Or in other words, the Lord rewards us with discipline so to sow righteousness within us…and we should give thanks for that.

5. A new self.

“…and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:24

“…filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:11

Something awesome happens when we commit ourselves to live in righteousness, being obedient to the Lord’s Word.

We become a new person.

Actually, the scriptures tell is that we put on a new self.

Why?

Because when we decide to pursue righteousness and partner with the Lord in every part of life, then we begin more and more to be like Him…to be an image of Him, just as He created us. And the more we become just like Him, the more we find ourselves living a life filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes from modeling the life of Jesus, becoming a new creation in and through Him who lives fully in true righteousness and holiness (2 Corinthians 5:17).

6. Faith

“I am not ashamed of the gospel because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel, a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: ‘The righteous will live by faith.’" Romans 1:16-17

“This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:22

The road to righteous living is also paved with faithfulness for we can’t possibly become righteous if we refuse to exercise faith in the Lord. We need to also see that being inconsistent in our faithfulness to God results us as being inconsistent in righteousness too.

In the end translation, true faithfulness requires true commitment…a steadfast loyalty that lets the Lord know we won’t let Him down…just as He never lets us down.

Indeed, we reap the reward of the Lord’s faithfulness when we live in faithfulness toward Him and frankly, there could be no better place for any of us to be in life.

And so there you have it, the rewards of righteousness as spelled out by the Word of God. For the scriptures tell is we gain peace, obedience, the ministry of the Spirit, discipline, the Lord’s faithfulness ,and a brand new self. Because of the blessed ministry of the Spirit, we could also add these:

Love, joy, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, and self-control...all named as fruits of the Spirit in Galatians (5:22-23).

My brothers and sisters, there’s no question that the Lord blesses those who choose to live for Him in every way…for those who choose righteousness over sin.

So where do you stand in your life?

Have you placed yourself in a position where you are reaping His rewards?

Or have you strayed from using the Word of God and the guiding of the Holy Spirit as your roadmap for life…turning instead towards sin, and in doing so, falling out of His favor?

If you’re counted in the former, then continue to do what you’re doing, remaining devoted to the Lord in everything you do. Conversely, if you have never lived for Him or maybe stopped doing so if you did prior, then it’s time to make a change.

The good news is that you can change that today….right this minute…by either making a commitment or recommitment to God and then stay faithful to that commitment or recommitment, surrendering your life in full obedience to His Word and will for you. Do that and the promised rewards found in the scriptures will be yours.

Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at how He rewards faithfulness.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

WHOSE WILL IS YOUR WILL?

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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Then David crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away; there was a wide space between them. He called out to the army and to Abner son of Ner, "Aren't you going to answer me, Abner?"

Abner replied, "Who are you who calls to the king?"

David said, "You're a man, aren't you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn't you guard your lord the king? Someone came to destroy your lord the king. What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men deserve to die because you did not guard your master, the Lord's anointed. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?"

Saul recognized David's voice and said, "Is that your voice, David my son?"

David replied, "Yes it is, my lord the king." And he added, "Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea — as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

Then Saul said, "I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."

1 Samuel 26:13-21

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Earlier in 1 Samuel, chapter 26, we read where David and Abishai had crept into the camp of Saul, Abner, and their army. You’ll remember that Abishai had asked permission to kill Saul as he slept but David refused to allow him to do so. Instead, they took Saul’s sword and a water jug that had been near his head before leaving the camp and the sleeping men behind.

As we continue to study from this chapter, we see where David had “crossed over to the other side and stood on top of the hill some distance away” from the camp. From there, he “called out to the army and to Abner” saying:

“Aren't you going to answer me, Abner?"

Abner then inquires about who is calling to the king (Saul) and in response, we find David saying this:

“You're a man, aren't you? And who is like you in Israel? Why didn't you guard your lord the king?”

It’s easy to sense the mocking nature of David’s words after he and Abishai had been able to enter the camp and get close enough to Saul to kill him. David’s words confirmed this as he continued:

“Someone came to destroy your lord the king. What you have done is not good. As surely as the Lord lives, you and your men deserve to die because you did not guard your master, the Lord's anointed. Look around you. Where are the king's spear and water jug that were near his head?"

David was essentially saying that Abner had failed in his duty to protect the king…one of his most primary responsibilities. And to prove his point, David let Abner know that he had been close enough to take Saul’s spear and the water jug near his head.

Well…before Abner had a chance to respond, we see where Saul enters the scene and speaks. It appears that he recognized the voice coming from the hill as belonging to David and so he asks if it was him. We see David confirming this as he responds, wondering why Israel’s king was still in pursuit:

"Yes it is, my lord the king. Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant's words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may He accept an offering. If, however, men have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have now driven me from my share in the Lord's inheritance and have said, 'Go, serve other gods.' Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea — as one hunts a partridge in the mountains."

David’s words powerfully reflected his dedication and faith to the Lord, something lacking in Saul for much of his reign. Note that David was willing to accept his fatal end if it was the Lord’s will. In that case, he saw himself as an offering that was provided to the Lord by Saul.

However, David countered these words by saying that if man was behind the murderous pursuit, then a curse should be upon them before the Lord for they would have violated God’s will, driving David from his “share in the Lord's inheritance” while telling him to “Go, serve other gods” instead.

And so with this, David forced Saul to acknowledge whether his actions were from the Lord or from his own evil intentions. And as scripture shows us, David’s approach once again drove Saul to repentance, just as at the En Gedi cave, as he said:

“I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly."

Now…what Saul should have said is that he sinned, acted like a fool, and erred greatly…again. For we know this wasn’t the first time he had to apologize to David (1 Samuel 24:16-22).

So what was Saul’s problem here?

The same problem that plagues many believers today…for he (and we) choose to behave way too often according to our own will and way, not God’s. This self serving disobedience not only leads us into sin but also draws us further and further away from being who the Lord wants us to be.

Indeed, it was disobedience that took a once God-honoring Saul and turned him into a murderous king who fell from God’s favor, so much so that the Lord decided to remove him from leading His people. Today, disobedience takes people that God created in His own image and turns them into people who disappoint, disrespect, and misrepresent Him in the way they live.

Friends, the bottom line is that we have a critically important choice to make in our lives in regard to who will dictate the things we think, say, and do. There are only two options:

1. We opt to seek and follow the Lord’s desire for us throughout every second of every minute of every hour of every day that He blesses us with.

or

2. We pick and choose when we want to seek the Lord’s guidance and will for our lives, only carrying out His expectations when they suit our desires.

One thing is certain…

Our Lord will not settle for anything less than option 1 for He demands our full compliance with anything and everything He wants. This is why we need to look at the character of Israel’s first king Saul as well as other biblical figures who all had flaws when it came to the matter of loyalty toward God…and this includes David who will have his own downfalls once on the throne of Israel.

In the end translation, God wants us to strive to be better…to read and learn about the mistakes of the past so to not repeat them now and in the future. We can do just that but only if we place the Lord first in everything.

Nothing less is acceptable to Him.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com 

SHOW GRACE AND MERCY...AGAIN

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

** Follow The Christian Walk on Twitter @ThChristianWalk

** Like posts and send friend requests to the author of The Christian Walk, Mark Cummings on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mark.cummings.733?ref=tn_tnmn

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The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?"

So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search there for David. Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon but David stayed in the desert. When he saw that Saul had followed him there, he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived.

Then David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped. He saw where Saul and Abner, son of Ner, the commander of the army, had lain down. Saul was lying inside the camp with the army encamped around him.

David then asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai, son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, "Who will go down into the camp with me to Saul?"

"I'll go with you," said Abishai.

So David and Abishai went to the army by night and there was Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying around him.

Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won't strike him twice."

But David said to Abishai, "Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the Lord lives," he said, "the Lord Himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head and let's go."

So David took the spear and water jug near Saul's head and they left. No one saw or knew about it, nor did anyone wake up. They were all sleeping because the Lord had put them into a deep sleep.

1 Samuel 26:1-12

This ends our reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

Question…How many times would you forgive someone who continuously strives to do you wrong?

Most of us would maybe give a person one chance…but a second?

That’s the focus of our passage as we find Saul once again going after David.

Now if you’re a regular reader, you’ll remember all about the relationship between Saul and David. Saul had fallen out of favor with God because of his willful disobedience and in turn, God decided to choose another king to replace him.

That king was none other than David, the shepherd boy who was the youngest son of Jesse of Bethlehem. You’ll recall that the scriptures emphasized how David was a man after God’s own heart and it wasn’t long after he was anointed by Samuel that he defeated the mighty giant Philistine warrior Goliath, gaining great acclaim from the people of Israel while drawing the ire of a jealous Saul set his sights on killing David.

To that end, we read where Saul first tried to spear David on two separate occasions, leading him to flee but Saul pursued him relentlessly. Things came to a hilt as Saul entered a cave to relieve himself, not knowing that David and his men were there, providing a perfect opportunity for them to eliminate him but David forbade his men from doing so because he didn’t see it as the Lord’s will. In fact, the scriptures told us that David became conscience-stricken just over cutting off a piece of Saul’s robe.

Well, outside of the cave, you’ll remember David confronted Saul, questioning why he was trying to kill him when he had done nothing wrong. He also shared how he had every chance to kill him in the cave but spared his life, showing him the piece of the robe he had cut off instead. His words had a transforming impact on Saul who seemed to turn from his ways, actually asking David for his mercy…and so David took an oath to not harm him.

Well…Saul’s apparent change of heart didn’t last long because as chapter 26 begins, we see him once again in pursuit of David after the Ziphites tell him that David was “hiding on the hill of Hakilah.” We read where he (Saul) “went down to the Desert of Ziph with his three thousand chosen men of Israel to search there for David”, making his “camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah”. Meanwhile, David “stayed in the desert” and “sent out scouts” after learning that Saul had “followed him there”. Those scouts confirmed that “Saul had definitely arrived”.

And so armed with this information, we read where “David set out and went to the place where Saul had camped”, seeing “Saul and Abner, …the commander of the army…lying inside the camp with the army encamped around.” He (David) wanted to go into the camp but didn’t wish to go alone and so he “asked Ahimelech the Hittite and Abishai, son of Zeruiah” to go with him. In response to this request, Abishai said he would go with David and so they “went to the army by night” and found “Saul, lying asleep inside the camp with his spear stuck in the ground near his head”.

Just as in the cave, Saul was once again in a vulnerable position to lose his life…and we see where David again showed restraint after Abishai said:  

“Today, God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear; I won't strike him twice."

Now, after Saul had been spared one time already, this request would have been enticing for almost anyone. It had to be tiresome to continue forgiving someone who showed over and over again that they couldn’t be trusted. Allowing Abishai to thrust his spear into Saul would end the problem once and for all.

But as we have seen prior, David was no ordinary man. He didn’t allow his men to sway his judgment in the cave and he wasn’t going to allow Abishai to do so now in Saul’s encampment, saying this to him:

"Don't destroy him! Who can lay a hand on the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? As surely as the Lord lives…the Lord Himself will strike him; either his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord's anointed. Now get the spear and water jug that are near his head and let's go."

Here, we find David placing Saul’s fate in the hands of the Lord, the only One who was qualified to serve as his Judge. You see, David didn’t see that it was either he or Abishai’s place to carry out Saul’s execution because the Lord had not commanded it to happen. And so since it wasn’t the Lord’s will for the execution to be carried out, Saul was spared for David was confident that his (Saul’s) day would come but at the hand of God, not of man.

And so we read where David “took the spear and water jug” that were “near Saul's head” and left with Abishai, undetected by anyone in the camp because the “Lord had put them into a deep sleep.”

Now, going back to the question that started this message…How many chances do we give someone who has done us wrong?

Or maybe it needs to be rephrased this way…How many times should we give someone who has done us wrong?

I believe the answer to the latter can be found by answering one other question…How many times has the Lord granted us another chance after we have done Him wrong (and those wrongs include every sin we have committed)?

In today’s passage, we saw where David showed Saul grace and mercy for a second time and did so because it was the Lord’s will for him to do so…the Lord who dictates when mercy and grace is to be applied…the Lord who shows us what mercy and grace looks like through the way He continuously forgives His children, even after they have failed and fallen over and over into sin.

You see when it came right down to it, David was a sinner just like Saul and as his story progresses, we’re going to definitely see just how flawed he was. Using this as an example, we need to remember that we are no less perfect than anyone who wrongs us and when it comes right down to it, nobody truly deserves God’s favor because all have sinned and fallen short of His glory (Romans 3:23). In fact, He could have wiped us off the face of His creation a long time ago because of our stubborn disobedience but he didn’t. I’m writing this now and hopefully you will soon be reading it because the Lord has once again extended His grace and mercy to us…a gift of grace and mercy that He has given time and time again…a gift of grace and mercy that He expects us to extend towards others as well.

When it comes right down to it, we don’t have the right to pass judgment on another unless the Lord chooses to use us as an instrument of His judgment. For He and He alone is the One who perfectly doles out justice. Here’s what the scriptures have to say on this from Paul’s letter to the Romans:

You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Romans 2:1

Let’s do ourselves a favor and before we consider retribution, let us turn the matter at hand over to the Lord, allowing Him to handle the situation while adopting a spirit of mercy and grace…the same mercy and grace we experience anew every morning from our faithful, loving, forgiving God (Lamentations 3:23).

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it. Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.