Friday, February 25, 2022
Greetings, Dear Friends ~
What a blessing it is for me to be able to share today’s Selah blog post with you! We continue with our series, “But God!” with the story of David in I Samuel chapter 23. I pray it is a blessing to you. Let us begin!
First Samuel 23:14 (NIV) reads:
“David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.”
The King James Version says, “And Saul sought him every day, but God….” When reflecting on this passage of Scripture, I thought about David—what it must have been like for him to be on the run from his enemy, Saul. Think about it for a moment! To spend every day running from someone whose sole purpose is to do us harm!
What had he done wrong to be chased down like this? It is quite simple. The culprits were envy and jealousy. Not only had David been able to destroy Goliath (Read I Samuel 17), but the people praised David more than they did Saul. First Samuel 18:7-9 says:
“The women sang as they played and danced, saying, ‘Saul has slain his thousands,
And David his ten thousands.’ Then Saul became very angry, for this saying displeased him; and he said, ‘They have ascribed to David ten thousands, but to me they have ascribed [only] thousands. Now what more can he have but the kingdom?’Saul looked at David with suspicion [and jealously] from that day forward” (Amplified Bible).
Though David had destroyed the Philistine giant, Goliath; though he had served Saul faithfully in numerous military campaigns; and though he had demonstrated great leadership, Saul was jealous of David. No longer in the favor of God because of his disobedience, God had rejected Saul. The Spirit of God left Saul, and God sent an evil spirit to Saul, which tormented him. Saul’s only consolation from this evil spirit, at one time, was when David played his harp. Things went from bad to worse! The women praised David and gave him greater accolades. The people trusted David’s leadership, and Saul considered David a threat to his reign. The truth of the matter is that David did not need to “take” anything from Saul because God anointed David as king. As someone once said, “David’s anointing was a postdated anointing”!
Every day, Saul went after David for something David had not done wrong. Day after day, despite all the good David did, Saul’s envy and jealousy grew, perhaps driven by the evil spirit that tormented him; and he simply wanted to kill David. This speaks volumes to many issues, for example insecurity. How often have you witnessed what someone else’s insecurity can do in your life or the life of another? I have seen it first-hand, and it is not pretty. Jealousy, envy, and insecurity can ruin good relationships. Being constantly consumed with what someone else has or even another person’s spiritual gifts, can tear down the good in any friendship. Failing to focus on what God is doing within us, can lead us down the wrong path when we are preoccupied with other people’s lives. We neglect who we are and lose the ability to be a blessing to the Kingdom of God.
Though David’s enemy was after him, God was covering David all the time! Consider this—It does not matter what our enemies attempt to do to us! Because there is a BUT GOD in David’s life, David did not succumb to Saul’s attacks. Saul was on a mission to destroy David, but God! Saul was fine with David until David seemed a better leader! While David was being chased, he was on defense; however, the tables would later turn, and David would go on offense (I Samuel 24, 26). He would have the opportunity to destroy Saul, but because the Spirit of God abided in him, David would turn the other cheek! Another BUT GOD moment! Here is the last point:
No matter what you are facing, you can trust that there is a “but God.” The Lord will not allow your enemies to overtake you! You can rest in this knowledge, truth, and grace! His plans for you are good (Jeremiah 29:11), and no weapon formed against you will ever be able to prosper (Isaiah 54:17)!!!
May our God fill your life to the brim and allow you to see the overflow! This is my prayer for you as you remember that . . . this world is definitely a much better place because you are in it!
Until Next Time, My Dear Friends,
Selah