Anointed: A Study in 1 SamuelSample

What does it say?

David had another opportunity to kill Saul but spared his life. He asked Saul to believe that he wished him no harm. Saul then blessed David and returned home.

What does it mean?

Saul believed that David planned to take the throne of Israel by force. But David’s actions and reasoning proved otherwise. If David had wanted to kill Saul, he could have done so – twice. David not only voiced his trust and confidence in the Lord, he also proved by his actions that he was allowing God to work on his behalf. Moved by the fact that David didn’t seize the opportunity to harm him, Saul finally saw the situation as it truly was rather than through fear and paranoia.

How should I respond?

The situations we face seldom deal with life and death. Still, you may consider someone an enemy if he constantly opposes you at work or school. David’s example in today’s passage is consistent with the instructions Christ gives to us. Matthew 5:44 says, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Have you faced opposition from others? How can you show them love and patience rather than retaliation? Stop right now and pray, genuinely asking God to bless them. Continue to do so and you’ll soon discover that it’s impossible to hate someone you’re praying for daily.