“Saul recognized David’s voice and said, ‘Is that your voice, David my son?’ David replied, ‘Yes it is, my lord the king.’ And he added, ‘Why is my lord pursuing his servant? What have I done, and what wrong am I guilty of? Now let my lord the king listen to his servant’s words. If the Lord has incited you against me, then may he accept an offering. If, however, people have done it, may they be cursed before the Lord! They have driven me today from my share in the Lord’s inheritance and have said, “Go, serve other gods.” Now do not let my blood fall to the ground far from the presence of the Lord. The king of Israel has come out to look for a flea—as one hunts a partridge in the mountains.’ Then Saul said, ‘I have sinned. Come back, David my son. Because you considered my life precious today, I will not try to harm you again. Surely I have acted like a fool and have been terribly wrong.’ ‘Here is the king’s spear,’ David answered. ‘Let one of your young men come over and get it. The Lord rewards everyone for their righteousness and faithfulness. The Lord delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed. As surely as I valued your life today, so may the Lord value my life and deliver me from all trouble.’ Then Saul said to David, ‘May you be blessed, David my son; you will do great things and surely triumph.’ So David went on his way, and Saul returned home.”—1 Samuel 26:17–25 (NIV)

If you have kids, you know they like to say sorry when they’ve been caught doing something they’re not supposed to. But sadly, as parents, we know they don’t even mean it!  

In my experience, my kids always hope I take their insincere apology to avoid any consequences for their misbehavior, but then it shows true repentance is lacking when they’re caught doing the same wrong thing again. And when I say again, I mean within the next five minutes after they’ve been caught the first time! 

I can’t believe I’m going to make this analogy, but today we’re going to learn that Saul has the IQ of a five-year-old who just wants what he wants and doesn’t care who he hurts in obtaining it. By now, Saul has attempted to kill David multiple times, with David having the opportunity to kill Saul in defense for the second time. In 1 Samuel 24, David could’ve ended this cat and mouse game for all. Once again, we see David’s genuine humility in today’s passage as he lets his rival go one more time. 

This supernatural humility is on display as David finds his confidence and trust in the Lord’s protection over his life. The most human act he could’ve performed at the moment of this active threat was to simply get rid of his problem when the opportunity came. But David reminds us that his greatest weapon is HUMILITY. It was the right and only answer, despite the danger that may occur from allowing Saul to live.

Saul is king of Israel, but God is the ultimate King who has the final say to the persecution David endured from Saul. What strikes me from this passage is the utmost respect David pays to Saul when addressing him, calling him “my lord”  and offering the “Lord’s anointed” an opportunity to apologize. I don’t know about you, but if someone kept trying to kill me, I’d struggle in honoring my adversary. 

David tries to reason with Saul by reminding him of his innocence and by serving his king and his nation with honor! Although Saul may have apologized, the pattern already established indicates this is not true repentance from Saul, but rather Saul seeking to survive one more day. He knows he lost another battle against David, but the war is still ongoing. 

So, how can you practically apply today’s lesson to your life? After all, someone’s probably NOT plotting your death at this moment. But I hope you’ll take these two reminders with you today:

1. God rewards those who act humbly and do what’s right in His eyes (Hebrews 6:10).
2. God can bring peace in our most troubling relationships . . . even if for a moment (Proverbs 16:7)!

There’s a great sign some people post on their refrigerator so they can see it every morning when they get up that says, “Good morning! This is God. I’ll be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help. So relax, and have a great day!”

“God is sovereign. God is in control. God is large and in charge. Life goes better when you leave it up to God.”—Pastor Ray Fowler

Pause: Has God been a trustworthy Father to you in your most challenging moments?

Practice: Write the sign above and post it on your refrigerator as a reminder of who is really in control!

Pray: Abba Father, You ARE sovereign, You ARE in control, and life is better when I leave it up to You! Thank You for this sweet reminder. Help me keep humble when I encounter fiery trials and adversaries in this life. You’ve always shown to be faithful and trustworthy, and I want to be the same to You regardless of the rewards You want to offer. I just simply desire to grow closer to You for the rest of my life. Jesus, You are my greatest reward! Amen.