Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking him to meet you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines and struck them with a great blow, so that they fled before him. Then a harmful spirit from the Lord came upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his spear in his hand. And David was playing the lyre. And Saul sought to pin David to the wall with the spear, but he eluded Saul, so that he struck the spear into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.
Saul sent messengers to David’s house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David’s wife, told him, “If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed.” So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats’ hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, “He is sick.” Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, “Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him.” And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats’ hair at its head. Saul said to Michal, “Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?” And Michal answered Saul, “He said to me, ‘Let me go. Why should I kill you?'”
– 1 Samuel 19:8-17
Devotion
David continued to serve Saul faithfully and inflicted a great blow to Saul’s enemies. Instead of responding with joy and gratitude towards David, Saul’s jealousy and hardness of heart drove him into a murderous rage. Against his own oath, Saul attempted to take the matters into his own hands and destroy David himself! This attempt at David’s life comes just three verses after Saul’s promise to Jonathan that he would not have David put to death.
This fit of anger came as a result of a harmful spirit which was sent by the Lord himself. God did not send the spirit because he desired evil consequences, but as a result of Saul’s continual disobedience and rejection of Yahweh, the true king of Israel.
When we continue to give in to our destructive emotions, we risk hardening our hearts towards sin and leading ourselves into full rebellion against God. Instead of following this destructive path we would do better to soften our hearts, repent of our sins, and turn towards a merciful and loving God who loves to save those who are lost.
The Big Question
Have you hardened your heart to any sins in your life? Have you asked God to search your heart and reveal truth? What is keeping you from seeking repentance and restoration?
Conclude in prayer and silence reflecting on what you’ve learned.