Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking him to meet you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
After Saul returned from pursuing the Philistines, he was told, “David is in the Desert of En Gedi.” So Saul took three thousand able young 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 lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.” With these words David sharply 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 lay my hand on my lord, because he is the LORD’s anointed.’
– 1 Samuel 24:1-10
Devotion
“He started it!” This statement is a favorite of children. Whether it’s at home with siblings, on the playground with friends, or on the sports field with opponents, children very often try to lessen the severity of their own offense by pointing to another person’s actions.
In this passage, David has a perfect opportunity to attack Saul and then simply say, “He started it!” After all, Saul had been hunting David like an animal in the wilderness, hoping to find him and end his life. Even David’s men were encouraging him to kill Saul. In fact, as we read the story many of us may think that David missed an opportunity. After all, if he killed Saul he could stop running for his life and instead take his rightful place as the next king of Israel. Instead, David chose to not take matters into his own hands, but instead to trust God to set things right between David and Saul.
If we are honest, the temptation to use this age-old phrase does not go away when we become adults. We often justify our own actions by looking to the actions of others. We may justify our negative treatment of a neighbor, coworker, acquaintance, friend, or even family member by pointing to how they first treated us. God calls us away from this childish form of relating. We are called to treat others with kindness and respect even when they do not deserve it.
The Big Question
Who are you treating differently because you feel that they have mistreated you first? Are there areas where you are justifying your actions based on someone else’s wrongdoing? How can you turn this over to God and begin treating that person well despite the fact that they do not deserve it?
Conclude in prayer and silence reflecting on what you’ve learned.