"Behold, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord had given you today into my hand in the cave, and some said to kill you, but my eye had pity on you; and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.'" 1 Sam 24:10
Saul, in the rage of his jealously, pursued young David with 3,000 men in an effort to kill him. He happened into a cave to relieve himself where David and his men were hiding. As the king was indisposed, David's men reminded him that God promised to deliver his enemy into his hand and that this was that moment. Listening to this counsel, David approached the king and clandestinely cut a piece of fabric from his cloak.
As Christians, we must consider with a great deal of gravity, how we respond to those who array themselves against us. Throughout our lifetimes, we endure slander, mistreatment, lies, verbal and sometimes physical attacks at the hands of others. In these situations, what type of advice do we receive from our friends? Is their advice in keeping with our Christianity or our humanity? What, then, do we do with that advice and how do we conduct ourselves?
David felt guilty for taking the limited action that he took and went to his enemy Saul, apologized and appealed to him to be reasonable and stop threatening his life. His reason for doing this was his love and respect for God. Because Saul was anointed by God to be king, David felt that it was wrong to lay a hand on him, even in his own defense.
Beloved, when we are threatened and scandalized, we must remember whose we are. The command that we have been given regarding our enemies is to love them. Vengeance is reserved for the Lord and is His sole domain. He has also said that no weapon formed against us will prosper. Let us place our faith in God, our protector and our redeemer.
Loving Like Jesus,
Lee
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