Daily Light - February 16, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"But there was a spear in Saul's hand."

1 Samuel 18:10

David the shepherd boy has now become David the giant slayer and military hero. The entire nation is indebted to this young man with a great faith in God and a courage greater than the entire Israelite army combined. King Saul who sent the boy off to face the giant has grown sick of hearing about the young hero. To make matters worse for Saul, the imbalanced king could only be comforted by soothing music that was played by none other than the humble shepherd, David.

Jealousy and rage are often found deep within the soul. We only seem to notice it when it boils up to the surface. It is there that it becomes a frightful monster that is bent on destroying every one in its path, but it had a humble beginning somewhere in the heart. We understand this all too well, because we have seen it in others and if we are honest, we have felt it in our own hearts as well.

But, let us consider what to do when we become the targets of unjustified rage, jealousy, or anger. There was no reason for Saul to hate David; he had done him no harm. All that David did was accomplish the will of God for his life and for the nation of Israel. Now, he stands before Saul not as a mighty warrior but a humble servant bringing comfort to the king. With no provocation, Saul takes up a spear and throws it at David. His intent was not to harm David but to kill him, and David knew it. So, what did David do? He dodged the spear and kept playing. There was no retaliation in his spirit. The man who would be remembered by history as a mighty warrior seems to be a pacifist. David could have responded in fear for his life or even in arrogance of his position. Remember that David had already been secretly anointed to be the next king. He could have thrown that back in the face of Saul, but he chose simply to move out of the way of Saul's rage. If you study this passage, you will notice this same thing happened on multiple occasions.

In our lives there will always be people that throw spears at us. They will not look any thing like Saul's spear most likely, but they will most definitely be damaging and bring pain. These spears will more often than not be thrown by those you are trying to help. We will feel that is unjustified to be treated so, and we will have a desire to react in kind. Let us face the insults and accusations of others like David faced the spears of Saul. Move out of the way and never consider for a moment about picking up the spear and throwing it back. God knows your heart, and His opinion of your life is really what matters.

May you pray for those who desire to hurt you today!