SHOW GRACE AND MERCY...AGAIN

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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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.

THE IMPORTANCE OF INTERVENTION

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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Now Samuel died and all Israel assembled and mourned for him; and they buried him at his home in Ramah.

Then David moved down into the Desert of Maon. A certain man in Maon, who had property there at Carmel, was very wealthy. He had a thousand goats and three thousand sheep which he was shearing in Carmel. His name was Nabal and his wife's name was Abigail. She was an intelligent and beautiful woman, but her husband, a Calebite, was surly and mean in his dealings.

While David was in the desert, he heard that Nabal was shearing sheep. So he sent ten young men and said to them, "Go up to Nabal at Carmel and greet him in my name. Say to him: 'Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!’

'Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them and the whole time they were at Carmel nothing of theirs was missing. Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my young men, since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them.'"

When David's men arrived, they gave Nabal this message in David's name. Then they waited.

Nabal answered David's servants, "Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers and give it to men coming from who knows where?"

David's men turned around and went back. When they arrived, they reported every word.

David said to his men, "Put on your swords!" So they put on their swords, and David put on his. About four hundred men went up with David, while two hundred stayed with the supplies.

One of the servants told Nabal's wife Abigail: "David sent messengers from the desert to give our master his greetings but he hurled insults at them. Yet these men were very good to us. They did not mistreat us, and the whole time we were out in the fields near them nothing was missing. Night and day they were a wall around us all the time we were herding our sheep near them. Now think it over and see what you can do because disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household. He is such a wicked man that no one can talk to him."

Abigail lost no time. She took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs and loaded them on donkeys. Then she told her servants, "Go on ahead; I'll follow you."

But she did not tell her husband Nabal.

As she came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine, there were David and his men descending toward her and she met them. David had just said, "It's been useless—all my watching over this fellow's property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!"

When Abigail saw David, she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before David with her face to the ground. She fell at his feet and said: "My lord, let the blame be on me alone. Please let your servant speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name—his name is Fool and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent.”

"Now since the Lord has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal. And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you. Please forgive your servant's offense, for the Lord will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master because he fights the Lord’s battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God. But the lives of your enemies, He will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. When the Lord has done for my master every good thing He promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel, my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord has brought my master success, remember your servant."

David said to Abigail, "Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me, not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak."

Then David accepted from her hand what she had brought him and said, "Go home in peace. I have heard your words and granted your request."

When Abigail went to Nabal, he was in the house holding a banquet like that of a king. He was in high spirits and very drunk. So she told him nothing until daybreak. Then in the morning, when Nabal was sober, his wife told him all these things and his heart failed him and he became like a stone. About ten days later, the Lord struck Nabal and he died.

When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Praise be to the Lord, who has upheld my cause against Nabal for treating me with contempt. He has kept his servant from doing wrong and has brought Nabal's wrongdoing down on his own head."

Then David sent word to Abigail, asking her to become his wife. His servants went to Carmel and said to Abigail, "David has sent us to you to take you to become his wife."

She bowed down with her face to the ground and said, "Here is your maidservant, ready to serve you and wash the feet of my master's servants." Abigail quickly got on a donkey and, attended by her five maids, went with David's messengers and became his wife. David had also married Ahinoam of Jezreel and they both were his wives. But Saul had given his daughter Michal, David's wife, to Paltiel, son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

1 Samuel 25

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

Have you ever found yourself about to do something wrong only to have someone step in and stop you?

I don’t think we can say enough about the importance of intervention in life…accepting intervention when it comes our way and intervening ourselves when we see someone needing it. We see this first-hand in today’s scripture passage from the 25th chapter of 1 Samuel.

Unfortunately, things begin sadly as we read about the death of Samuel. This man, the son of Hannah who was given to her as a gift from God and then presented to Him at the age of three, lived a life of faithful, dedicated service to the Lord, gaining deep respect from the nation of Israel because of his many years of spiritual wisdom and leadership. This respect and reverence were evident as we’re told how “all Israel assembled and mourned for him” as he was “buried him at his home in Ramah”.

Following Samuel’s death, the scriptures tell us that David “moved down into the Desert of Maon” where he encountered a wealthy man “who had property there at Carmel”…property that included “a thousand goats and three thousand sheep” which he sheared. We learn that the man’s name was Nabal and that he was “surly and mean in his dealings”. He was married to woman named Abigail who was described as being “an intelligent and beautiful woman”.

So David, interested in establishing a working relationship with Nabal so to get some supplies, “sent ten young men” to him while he was shearing sheep. He instructed the young men to greet Nabal before sharing the following message:

“Long life to you! Good health to you and your household! And good health to all that is yours!”

“Now I hear that it is sheep-shearing time. When your shepherds were with us, we did not mistreat them and the whole time they were at Carmel, nothing of theirs was missing. Ask your own servants and they will tell you. Therefore be favorable toward my young men since we come at a festive time. Please give your servants and your son David whatever you can find for them."

And so David’s men went to Nabal and said what David commanded, surely expecting to receive some amount of hospitality but they would find out quickly that Nabal’s reputation proceeded him as he replied:

“Who is this David? Who is this son of Jesse? Many servants are breaking away from their masters these days. Why should I take my bread and water and the meat I have slaughtered for my shearers and give it to men coming from who knows where?"

And so David’s servants returned to David empty-handed and “reported every word” that Nabal had said. After hearing this, we see where David became enraged and gave his men the following order:

“Put on your swords!"

And with that, David took “about four hundred men” and headed toward Nabal where he intended to kill him and his men for his disrespectful behavior. Nabal and his men were as sure as dead at the hands of David…unless some intervention occurred to spare them and as we see in our passage, the Lord was about to provide it in the person of Nabal’s intelligent and beautiful wife, Abigail.

For we read where “one of the servants told Nabal's wife Abigail” that David had “sent messengers from the desert” to greet Nabal but only received hurled insults. The servant further states that David and his men didn’t deserve that treatment because they had been “very good” to the servants, not mistreating them nor stealing from them for “the whole time (they) were out in the fields near them nothing (went) missing”.

In other words, David and their men had been good and trustworthy neighbors, never starting any conflict or wronging Nabal’s men in any way. But now things had changed because of what the “wicked man” Nabal had done, so much so that the servant sensed the coming threat from David and his men, telling Abigail that “disaster is hanging over our master and his whole household”

With this, Abigail went into action…losing no time in gathering “two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five dressed sheep, five seahs of roasted grain, a hundred cakes of raisins, and two hundred cakes of pressed figs” which she loaded on donkeys. She then told her servants to go ahead so she could follow, deciding to “not tell…Nabal”.

The scriptures tell us that as Abigail “came riding her donkey into a mountain ravine”, she saw “David and his men descending toward her” and so she went to meet them. It was just in a nick of time because David had just said this:

"It's been useless—all my watching over this fellow's property in the desert so that nothing of his was missing. He has paid me back evil for good. May God deal with David, be it ever so severely, if by morning I leave alive one male of all who belong to him!"

Through his words, we see how David was incensed, not just over Nabal’s disrespect and lack of hospitality but also his lack of gratitude…so much so that he was ready to kill him and all his men. There was only one thing that David wasn’t considering in his fit of anger. He didn’t factor in the possibility of intervention to resolve the matter at hand.

Well, when David reached Abigail, we read where “she quickly got off her donkey and bowed down before (him) with her face to the ground”, saying:

“My lord, let the blame be on me alone. Please let your servant speak to you; hear what your servant has to say. May my lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal. He is just like his name — his name is Fool, and folly goes with him. But as for me, your servant, I did not see the men my master sent.”

"Now since the Lord has kept you, my master, from bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hands, as surely as the Lord lives and as you live, may your enemies and all who intend to harm my master be like Nabal. And let this gift, which your servant has brought to my master, be given to the men who follow you. Please forgive your servant's offense for the Lord will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the Lord’s battles. Let no wrongdoing be found in you as long as you live. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the Lord your God. But the lives of your enemies, He will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling. When the Lord has done for my master every good thing He promised concerning him and has appointed him leader over Israel, my master will not have on his conscience the staggering burden of needless bloodshed or of having avenged himself. And when the Lord has brought my master success, remember your servant."

Take note of Abigail’s words to David. For she wasn’t just speaking on behalf of herself and her people but rather on behalf of the Lord. In a time when intervention was desperately needed, she not only invoked God’s name but then was used by Him to soften David’s irritated heart and prevent the pending bloodshed.

In fact, we sense relief in David’s voice as he says to Abigail:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you today to meet me. May you be blessed for your good judgment and for keeping me from bloodshed this day and from avenging myself with my own hands. Otherwise, as surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, who has kept me from harming you, if you had not come quickly to meet me not one male belonging to Nabal would have been left alive by daybreak."

In other words, Abigail and her quick actions saved her husband and his men. They all would live because she was willing to intervene for them.

Well, as the chapter ends, we see where the Lord handled Nabal for we read where “his heart failed him and he died after Abigail told him about what she had done. And after David praised the Lord for upholding his honor by dealing with Nabal, he sent for the now widowed Abigail and made her his wife. Ultimately, we see where the Lord rewarded her for the wonderful act of intervention she performed.

So how does this tie into our lives today?

Well, as we examine the deeds of Abigail and the saving impact that had on her husband and the rest of her servants, we can’t help but remember the blessed, saving intervention we, as Christians, have experienced through Jesus Christ.

For we were once in danger of death and the penalty of Hell because of our sinfulness. We were separated from God and in order to bridge that gap, special intervention was needed. A heavy price needed paid in order to purchase our pardon.

And so God, out of His deep love for us, sent His only Son Jesus, the One who would be the Lamb of God who took away the sin of the world (John 1:29) for anyone who would believe in Him. Because of placing their faith and trust in Him, they wouldn’t perish but rather gain eternal life (John 3:16).

Just as Nabal and his servants were spared because Abigail’s act of intervention, Jesus stepped in to save sinners, willingly giving His life up in place of ours on Calvary’s cross while dying in our place and paying our sin debt in full. Indeed, those who place their trust in Him will not be condemned (Romans 8:1) or thrust into the fires of Hell but rather live on forever when this earthly life ends.

The good news is that for a Christian, death is not the end but only the blessed beginning of the best life ever…and it’s because of this that we have hope through a promised Kingdom inheritance that no one can take from us…a hope-filled inheritance that only happened because of Jesus’ intervened for us.

The bottom line is that every single person who has ever lived…or ever will live…is in need of a salvation that only Jesus can bring. He is the Intervener who rescues anyone who believes in Him.

Are you in need of His intervention today?

If so, my prayer is that you don’t waste another second in placing your faith in Jesus. It’s a decision you will never regret.

Have you been considering doing something wrong?

If so, my prayer is that the Lord either directly intercedes in your life or sends someone to do His work for you. For only He can lead us on the right path in life, a path that results in behaviors pleasing in His sight.

Finally, has life brought you to a place where you are considering self harm, feeling like life isn’t worth living anymore?

If so, my prayer is that you reach out to someone for help…someone who can provide intervention in your time of need…someone who let you know just how loved and valued you are by the Lord. There are people ready to help you, ready to step into the gap and be the hands and feet of God like Abigail was.

Here’s the number to call: 988.

Before I close, I encourage you, the reader, to consider how you might assume a role as an intervener, ready to be used by the Lord to help others who are in a time of need. There’s a multitude of people in our world who need assistance and in many cases, just someone who is willing to listen and encourage.

Our message today has shown us the awesome power of intervention and how God can use us to step in and avert wrongs before they happen. My prayer is that all of us will stand ready to interpose for another person, just as Jesus did for us.

For after all, isn’t being a Christian the same as being Christ-like in the way we live?

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.

OVERCOMING TEMPTATION

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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After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, "David is in the Desert of En Gedi." So Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel and set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats.

He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, "This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'" Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe.

Afterward, David was conscience-stricken for having cut off a corner of his robe. He said to his men, "The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord." With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way.

Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!" When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming you'? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord's anointed.' See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you. Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May He consider my cause and uphold it; may He vindicate me by delivering me from your hand."

When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. "You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family."

So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold.

1 Samuel 24

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

As 1 Samuel, chapter 23 ended, we saw David narrowly escape death as a pursuing Saul had to call off his quest for David to return to his territory and fight off a Philistine uprising.

As chapter 24 opens, we find Saul ready to reassume his search for David and receives information that David was in the “Desert of En Gedi." And so he “took three thousand chosen men from all Israel” and “set out to look for David and his men near the Crags of the Wild Goats”.

The scriptures tell us that during his transit, Saul felt the urge to relieve himself and entered a cave near some “sheep pens along the way” but he wouldn’t be alone there for we read that “David and his men” were there as well…”far back in the cave”.

Now think about this…

What would a typical man do during David’s days if they had the opportunity to eliminate someone who had tried to kill them, especially if that person was in a vulnerable position?

There’s no question that they would probably take advantage of the situation and take out their enemy before the enemy got a chance to strike first. It’s this very attitude that we see David’s men display when Saul entered the cave and presented himself as an easy target. Here’s what they said to David, their leader:

“This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, 'I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.'"

Their words were meant to tempt David, even invoking the Lord’s name as to further convince him it was the right thing to do. Indeed, the seeds of persuasion had been planted and began to sprout inside David as he “crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul's robe”.

At then, in that instance, something amazing happened…for we read where David became “conscience-stricken” after cutting the corner off of Saul’s robe.

In other words, the Lord sent conviction to David because he was doing wrong.

If David had only consulted God first, he would have avoided being “conscience-stricken” in the first place because the Lord would have told him not to do anything to Saul. But David didn’t consult God first. Instead, he relied on what his men had told him and acted on their guidance.

How often do we make the same mistake in life?

Instead of turning to God, inquiring about what He wants us to do, we allow others to adversely influence us and end up doing things that He disapproves of. Then, we end finding ourselves in the place David was at…conscience-stricken and convicted for violating the Lord and His will.

Well, understanding that he had erred thanks to the Lord’s conviction, David turns to his men and rebukes them saying:

“The Lord forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the Lord."

And so David “did not allow (his men) to attack Saul who “left the cave and went his way but David did follow him out. Imagine how surprised Saul must have been when he heard a voice calling out to him and turned to see David “bowed down and prostrated” before him “with his face to the ground”. His eyes probably couldn’t believe that the man he hunted was right before him and ready to be slain. All his pursuing could end and the threat to his throne would be eliminated.

But as we see in our passage, the Lord had other things in mind…and they started with David’s words to Saul.

First of all, we should note David’s attitude toward Israel’s king for he approaches him in humility and a non-threatening manner. Thus, he didn’t put Saul on the defensive and postured him to receive the following words:

“Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming you'? This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord's anointed.' See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. As the old saying goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you. Against whom has the king of Israel come out? Whom are you pursuing? A dead dog? A flea? May the Lord be our judge and decide between us. May He consider my cause and uphold it; may He vindicate me by delivering me from your hand."

Through this, we find David making a case for himself while letting Saul know three things loud and clear.

First, he (David) hadn’t done anything to deserve being pursued and killed.

Second, David lets Saul know that he could have killed him in the cave but he spared his life because he viewed Saul as the Lord’s anointed…a point obviously reinforced when the Spirit of God convicted David in the cave.

Finally, David underscores that only the Lord should settle the matter between them. Only He should be allowed to pass judgment.

So how did David’s word impact Saul?

As we see, they had a dramatic effect for Saul weeps aloud as he says to David:

“Is that your voice, David my son? You are more righteous than I…You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the Lord delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the Lord reward you well for the way you treated me today. I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. Now swear to me by the Lord that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family."

And with that, David “gave his oath to Saul” and “Saul returned home”. David was still alive and so was Saul…all because the former had overcome temptation and did what was right in the presence of the Lord.

So what should we take away from this passage?

Hopefully, we have learned to turn to the Lord anytime we need to make a decision so to ensure we do the right thing. This will ensure we don’t overstep our bounds and become conscience-stricken as a result.

We also need be able to recognize and respond to the power of the Spirit when it convicts us through our conscience for that Spirit is always seeking to keep us from doing anything that is against the Lord’s will. In our scriptures, we saw David overcome temptation by heeding the Lord’s conviction and we can too.

There’s one other important thing we need to remember about overcoming temptation from this chapter. For not only can we defeat it via the power of the Spirit but by the wonder working power of God’s Word as well.

Jesus showed us this through his actions in the opening eleven verses of Matthew, chapter 4:

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, He was hungry. The tempter came to Him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."

Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.' "

Then the devil took Him to the holy city and had Him stand on the highest point of the temple.

"If You are the Son of God," he said, "throw Yourself down. For it is written: " 'He will command His angels concerning You, and they will lift You up in their hands, so that You will not strike your foot against a stone.'"

Jesus answered him, "It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'"

Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor.

"All this I will give You," he said, "if You will bow down and worship me."

Jesus said to him, "Away from Me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.'"

Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. Matthew 4:1-11

In this passage, we find our Savior at His weakest point of hunger after fasting forty days and nights and it was there that we see Satan come after Him, trying to tempt Him to sin…not just once but three times.

But Satan wasn’t successful, was he?

This is because Jesus beat him in each of the three attempts by using the word of God…twice referring to verses in the Old Testament Book of Deuteronomy and once to the Psalms. It’s little wonder that Paul later would refer to the weapon one carries while donning the full armor of God as being “the sword of the Spirit which is the Word of God” (Ephesians 6:17).

And so first David and then Jesus show us that we have two means at our disposal to overcome temptation and deal with the attacks from Satan who tries to exploit our weaknesses and lead us into sin.

First, we have the Spirit to guide us and, second, we have the Word of God to defend us.

One thing is for sure…we’ll never overcome temptation by our own strength. Try it yourself and you’ll see. Thankfully, we don’t have to fight alone for the Lord, who has infinite strength and power to defeat Satan, imparts His power to us so we can remain righteous and victorious over the enemy.

Today and every day, let us give thanks and praise to God for His willingness to help us overcome temptation when it comes so we can live life as He wants us to…obediently with a desire to be holy as He is.

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 BLESSING OF ENCOURAGEMENT

Can I pray for you in any way?

Send any prayer requests to TheChristianWalkPrayers@gmail.com.

In Christ, Mark

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David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day, Saul searched for him but God did not give David into his hands.

While David was at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph, he learned that Saul had come out to take his life. And Saul's son Jonathan went to David at Horesh and helped him find strength in God. "Don't be afraid," he said. "My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this." The two of them made a covenant before the Lord. Then Jonathan went home, but David remained at Horesh.

The Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding among us in the strongholds at Horesh, on the hill of Hakilah, south of Jeshimon? Now, O king, come down whenever it pleases you to do so, and we will be responsible for handing him over to the king."

Saul replied, "The Lord bless you for your concern for me. Go and make further preparation. Find out where David usually goes and who has seen him there. They tell me he is very crafty. Find out about all the hiding places he uses and come back to me with definite information. Then I will go with you; if he is in the area, I will track him down among all the clans of Judah."

So they set out and went to Ziph ahead of Saul. Now David and his men were in the Desert of Maon, in the Arabah, south of Jeshimon. Saul and his men began the search, and when David was told about it, he went down to the rock and stayed in the Desert of Maon. When Saul heard this, he went into the Desert of Maon in pursuit of David.

Saul was going along one side of the mountain, and David and his men were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul. As Saul and his forces were closing in on David and his men to capture them, a messenger came to Saul, saying, "Come quickly! The Philistines are raiding the land."

Then Saul broke off his pursuit of David and went to meet the Philistines. That is why they call this place Sela Hammahlekoth (rock of parting).

And David went up from there and lived in the strongholds of En Gedi.

1 Samuel 23:14-29

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Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:1-2, 6-8

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

Have you ever found yourself discouraged…feeling down and out…perhaps even feeling defeated?

Life can lead us there sometimes, particularly when we are going through the midst of a trial. Whether it is health-related, work-related, financially-related, or relationship-related, these tribulations can sometimes span large periods of time, possibly up to years at a time…and in the midst of so much time spent in hardship, a person can easily wear down, find their spirits crushed, and lose the energy or will to persevere.

Maybe you can relate to this because I know I can.

Well we know David was going through this kind of challenge as we continue studying the scriptures found in 1st Samuel, chapter 23. You’ll recall that Saul, the first king of Israel, had been pursuing him relentlessly which meant David always had to be on the move to stay one step ahead of him. And what made matters even worse was the number of people willing to betray and expose David to Saul, leaving him unsure of who he could trust.

As this passage opens, we find David “at Horesh in the Desert of Ziph” where he once again learns that “Saul had come out to take his life”. Tired and weary from running, David was in need of encouragement and God sent him just that in the way of his good friend, Jonathan.

Maybe you have experienced this as well. For just when you were at wits end over some situation, the Lord sent someone to you who was an encourager…one who lifted you up, renewed your spirit, and helped you to carry on. I know I have experienced this more times than I can count.

So in his great time of need, God sends Jonathan to David, meeting him at Horesh where he helped David “find strength in God”. Look again at Jonathan’s words of comfort and hope:

"Don't be afraid…My father Saul will not lay a hand on you. You will be king over Israel, and I will be second to you. Even my father Saul knows this."

In other words, Jonathan is telling David he had nothing to be afraid of for Saul would “not lay a hand” on him. Instead, David would end up taking over as king…supplanting Saul and bringing new leadership to Israel with Jonathan his second in command. When all would be said and done, David was not going to die nor be defeated. Rather, it would be Saul who would ultimately lose…and Jonathan assures David that his father even fully knew that his days were numbered.

Imagine what a boost this must have been to David’s spirits.

Well, Jonathan would leave David in Horesh after providing his encouragement and making a new covenant with him in the presence of the Lord. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be long before David would face yet another challenge…but this time, he was reinforced and prepared to deal with what would come. Ultimately, he knew he would have the victory.

This challenge came when the “Ziphites went up to Saul at Gibeah”, telling him that David was in their territory. We read where they asked Saul to come so they could hand David over to him, underscoring the danger he faced from those who aligned themselves with his enemy. Yet, we see that no matter how shifty people tried to be, they could never overcome the Lord’s presence and protection over His chosen leader.

And so Saul sends the Ziphites away and asks them to return with specific information about David’s location so he could kill him. Almost comically, he even exploits the Lord’s name and blessing to extend favor towards the Ziphites were about to do…all when he couldn’t be further from being holy or pious. Almost equally humorous was Saul calling David crafty when it was he who was the schemer.

Back to the scriptures where we see the Ziphites return ahead of Saul and inform him that David and his men were in the Desert of Maon. Armed with the information, Saul advances, hoping to finally get his hands on David…but in a scenario that could be nothing short of God-driven, we read where Saul and his men were advancing “along one side of the mountain” while David and his men “were on the other side, hurrying to get away from Saul”.

Had things continued to proceed, Saul would have probably caught up with David eventually but he suddenly received news came that changed his plans. For the Philistines had attacked and raided Saul’s territory causing Saul to end “his pursuit of David” and leave to “meet the Philistines”. For the moment at least, David would escape harm, just as Jonathan had promised, and so he went up with his men to live in the “strongholds of En Gedi”…no doubt buoyed up in spirit after escaping harm again.

Through today’s scripture passage, the Lord is showing us the critical importance of encouragement…and we see it on two fronts.

First, it’s important to receive encouragement in times of need and we should embrace and give thanks for it when offered.

You see, too often we tend to rebuff others when we’re going through tough times. We like to isolate ourselves and internalize our issues, not bothering others with our problems…and this includes the Lord, the only One who can truly help up. We falsely assure ourselves that we have enough strength to deal with matters on our own and by doing this, we end up bottomed out, depressed and despaired…because we lose the hope, faith, and strength needed to stand firm against the difficulties we’re dealing with.

Friends, we need encouragement nearly as much as we need air to breathe during difficult times for the issues of life can suck the very life from us if we allow them to.

But it doesn’t need to be that way.

For we can…and we need to confide in someone during hardship and remain open to receive and accept the encouragement they can bring us. With this, we need to never forget that we have no greater friend than the Lord Himself…the One who promised to never leave us nor forsake us…the only One who can provide us the power we need to persevere through tough times.

In the scriptures today, the Lord sends Jonathan to help lift David up and provide words to strengthen him in the midst of Saul’s murderous intent. For you or me, it could be anyone else the God might choose and send to us.

And this leads me to the second point on encouragement…for we all should seek to be encouragers for others.

The truth of the matter is that the Lord is ready to use any of us in this way if we stay open and available for Him to do so. He places us in the midst of people each and every day…and we never know what someone might be going through. A mere chance encounter could turn into an opportunity to meet someone in the midst of their difficulties and provide words of comfort and/or encouragement to them. Maybe this comes in the way of words to help them or just simply saying nothing and just using the gift of listening intently for sometimes that’s all we need to do for another…hear them out and let them get matters out in the open that have been weighing them down. I know I’ve gained a great deal of relief and release at times just by getting frustrations off my chest…and the Lord has blessed me through the years with wonderful people who have been willing to hear me in my times of need. And in turn, I have been blessed by God to be able to help many other people who also needed someone to confide in and talk through their life situation.

At its core, that’s a large part of what ministry is all about and every day, I give thanks to the Lord that He uses me to encourage others daily, like when I get to write messages like this one. The good news is that God stands ready to use you the same way…to extend the blessing of encouragement to someone.

I pray that you’ll take Him up on the offer.

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.