1st Samuel 24:4 says, “And the men of David said
to him, "Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, 'Behold, I will give your enemy into
your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.'" Then
David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe.”
My father has previously started a Bible Study with our
youth group that causes all of us to get into our Bible everyday of the week,
and we aren’t allowed to attend the next meeting if we were unable to complete
four days of reading our Bibles. It’s been a great accountability plan to get
into the Bible everyday. Even though I can’t attend most of the meetings, I
follow the reading plan and stay on track just in case I can show up the
following week.
We have been going through the book of 1st Samuel
and learning about Samuel, Saul, and most recently David. It’s been great and
very enjoyable. Today, we were beckoned to read chapters 24 and 25 of the book
and I came across this passage. Things are tense as Saul is directly on the
other side of a mountain from David. They are the closest they have been
through out this long chase and David has the opportunity to end it.
His men tell him to sneak up behind Saul and take his life.
David has the full right to do this, as he has been anointed king and really
Saul should be considered his subject. However, David only cuts off a piece of
Saul’s garment as proof he doesn’t want to kill Saul. Even later he regrets
cutting of the edge of his robe because Saul is the Lord’s anointed. Imagine
how his men must have felt. So close, and he let him go. Later David approaches
Saul and bows to him and shows him the edge of his garment as a symbol of his
intensions. Saul then lets him life as long as he doesn’t destroy his family
when David is king.
Think about it; David is on the brink of death. This man
that has been seeking his life is now a few yards in front of David and David
is in the most vulnerable position possible: a bow. Saul could have taken
several steps and had ended David’s life. The whole situation was completely
inconceivable. I imagine the men of both David and Saul were thinking, “This is
ridiculous. How am I going to explain my absence to my wife now?”
If you flip over Psalm 34, you see David praising God for
His deliverance. We also see his dependence on God through this Psalm and
through our story. My father wrote in our study notes, “How do you depend on
God?” This question scares me a little. The Creator of the universe, Who has
made all things and has set things into motion, is in my backseat as jumper
cable just incase my car battery needs some help. Isn’t that how it is for most
of us?
How do we depend on God? How do we live a life taking steps
of faith saying, “God will get me through this situation” or “God will deliver
me if I depend on Him”? As many of you know, I auditioned for a ministry team
at Liberty University recently and didn’t get on the team. The importance of
this audition was, if one was to make it on the team, he would receive a
full-ride scholarship to the school. Yeah, it was a big deal. However God must
have different plans for me. I ask God, “How can I pay for college now? Do You
even want me to attend college? Where do You want me to go and what do You want
me to do?”
For me, to live dependant on Christ is for me to sit in the
back seat and let God drive me to my destination in the future. For all I know,
I could be in Africa or China or Russia sharing the Gospel or a trash man
working all day everyday. I have no idea where God wants me, but He doesn’t
call me to figure out my own plans; in fact, he discourages it. He says, “Seek
me first.” That’s dependence.
How are you living a life dependant on God? – Forsake All
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