September 10, 2013
It was a literal life and death struggle. The hunter was driven with murderous intent. The hunted, however, chose mercy instead of revenge.
"May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness '; but my hand shall not be against you." (1 Samuel 24.12-13)
Paranoid King Saul knew that his days as king of Israel were numbered. God's Spirit and presence had departed from him, and a young shepherd boy named David had been anointed and empowered. It was only a matter of time until he would ascend as king. Meanwhile, the reigning king sought to prevent the inevitable by putting David to death. Twice David had opportunity to kill his opponent, but his resolute vow was that his hand would not be against the king.
The story of Saul and David's perilous conflict reminds us of the great temptation of revenge. Few things are harder than not seeking revenge when we've been wronged. As such, few things are more challenging than David's response, or Jesus' words on the subject:
"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5.10-12)
Let's face it: sometimes we are mistreated because we deserve it! A less-than-loving comment or gesture rightfully stirs the ire of someone else. But, we often are opposed simply because we are a child of God. A state of war exists between the children of the evil one and the children of God, and the specific reasons for conflict are often not apparent. As such, it's easy to be hurt, wounded, and desiring revenge. But, our resolute conviction needs to be that of David: "my hand shall not be against you." And, not only must our hand not be against our enemy, but our thoughts either. Difficult is it may be, we must maintain a reconciling stance to those opposed to us, because God seeks to make His appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5.20).
In the face of the opposition that likely will come our way today, may God's Spirit bolster us, and inspire a godly response. And, may that godly response be instrumental in winning someone for the king and the kingdom today.
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
"May the LORD judge between you and me, and may the LORD avenge me on you; but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, 'Out of the wicked comes forth wickedness '; but my hand shall not be against you." (1 Samuel 24.12-13)
Paranoid King Saul knew that his days as king of Israel were numbered. God's Spirit and presence had departed from him, and a young shepherd boy named David had been anointed and empowered. It was only a matter of time until he would ascend as king. Meanwhile, the reigning king sought to prevent the inevitable by putting David to death. Twice David had opportunity to kill his opponent, but his resolute vow was that his hand would not be against the king.
The story of Saul and David's perilous conflict reminds us of the great temptation of revenge. Few things are harder than not seeking revenge when we've been wronged. As such, few things are more challenging than David's response, or Jesus' words on the subject:
"Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5.10-12)
Let's face it: sometimes we are mistreated because we deserve it! A less-than-loving comment or gesture rightfully stirs the ire of someone else. But, we often are opposed simply because we are a child of God. A state of war exists between the children of the evil one and the children of God, and the specific reasons for conflict are often not apparent. As such, it's easy to be hurt, wounded, and desiring revenge. But, our resolute conviction needs to be that of David: "my hand shall not be against you." And, not only must our hand not be against our enemy, but our thoughts either. Difficult is it may be, we must maintain a reconciling stance to those opposed to us, because God seeks to make His appeal through us (2 Corinthians 5.20).
In the face of the opposition that likely will come our way today, may God's Spirit bolster us, and inspire a godly response. And, may that godly response be instrumental in winning someone for the king and the kingdom today.
©Steve Taylor, 2013
Be sure to also visit http://thetruthrevolution.wordpress.com/
posted by steve @ 8:33 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home