Wednesday Thought -- September 28, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“Whatever Saul sent him to do, David did it so successfully that Saul gave him a high rank in the army.  This pleased all the people, and Saul's officers as well.   When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes.  As they danced, they sang:  ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.’  Saul was very angry; this refrain galled him.  ‘They have credited David with tens of thousands,’ he thought, ‘but me with only thousands.  What more can he get but the kingdom?’  And from that time on Saul kept a jealous eye on David.” (1 Samuel 18:5-9)

Saul gave in to the temptations to pride and jealousy and his sins led him down a path of self-destruction and the destruction of those around him.  Saul could have lived a life that would have been respected during his lifetime and honored after his death.  But Saul’s character was so marred by his own self-interest that he ended life as a psychotic man, both ridiculed and feared by the people he led.

Saul’s jealousy of David led him to distrust the man who would have been his most loyal follower.  David proved himself over and over in Saul’s service, and his payment from Saul was distrust and disregard.  Later in this chapter, Saul would attempt to personally kill David, a goal he continued to pursue for many years.  Yet, Saul was never able to accomplish that goal because the Lord protected David.

Saul’s jealousy was not only harmful to his reign, his reputation, and those around him, it was also harmful to Saul’s own emotional health.  He lived in fear of David. (1 Samuel 18:12)  He was constantly afraid that David would be able to wrest the kingdom from him.  That was an unfounded fear.  Although Samuel had already anointed David as the next king, David never sought to overthrow Saul’s reign.  Saul’s emotional distress was all in his head, not based in a real threat from David.

Saul’s experience has been mirrored by millions of others through the years.  Their jealousy and pride has marred their accomplishments, destroyed their emotional health, and left them without respect from those around them.

Say “no” to pride and jealousy.  Say “yes” to trusting the Lord.

His, by Grace,

Steve