This has been a strange week! I am looking forward to having a good Sabbath and taking the sacrament. I need to renew and refill today! My prayer reflected my gratitude for the opportunity I have to go to church each Sunday and to partake of the sacrament. It is the best part of the day for me and it is a great way to start the new week!
1 Samuel 23-24
Who among us has not been hurt by the words or deeds of others? I think it is safe to say that none of us goes through life without being offended or hurt by others. Insults will come and hurts will happen; but they should never be allowed to derail or define our lives. It is possible to overcome the evil others do to us and it is possible to rise above it and get passed it by the help of the Lord.
In today's chapters we take a look at how the Lord can help us deal with conflict resolution. First, we need to decide which side of the conflict we are on.
I found myself on both sides of the conflict. I have been like Saul,
consumed by jealousy and hatred. I have been stubborn and mean towards others in my life. I have even thought out plans of revenge.
I have also been in David's position, hated for the wrong reasons, my reputation trashed, treated poorly, and running from the problem. I admit that there are times when I feel like I am being hunted by those who dislike me. It seems that my enemies are pursuing me and are looking for every possible way to destroy and defeat me.
In chapter 23 we read about the cat and mouse chase going on between David and Saul. The Ziphites come to rat David out and Saul says something that gives us a glimpse into his heart: "Blessed be ye of the Lord; for ye have compassion on me (23: 21)." He has no thought that what he is doing is wrong. He sees himself as the victim in the situation! He even tries to come off righteous by bringing the Lord into this.
Sadly, I have been there too. You get so wrapped up in your feelings that you can't see the truth in the situation, that YOU might be wrong! I hate when that happens because you know the Lord is going to give you an attitude adjustment at some point and it is going to be a big old slap in the face!
On David's side we see the Lord supporting David through his friend Jonathan. In verses 16 and 17 we see what a great friend can do for us in our times of need:
Strengthen our hand in God (v 16) and help us to Fear Not (v 17)
I believe this is the last time that David and Jonathan see each other. These are the last words of advice that are recorded from Jonathan. I can only hope that when I leave my friends that I would leave them with such great words to lift them up!
It is in chapter 24 that we see the proper way to deal with conflict. While David and his men hide in the cave, the providence of God brings King Saul into the same cave at the same time. David has the perfect opportunity to kill Saul, claim the throne and elevate himself all the way to the very top. But, David does not do what most people would have done in that situation. Instead of reacting with hatred, revenge and murder; David displays, love, grace, compassion and forgiveness. In this little glimpse into the life of David, we are allowed to see the real heart of this man. Here, it is easy to see why the Lord called David, “A man after Mine Own heart.”
v. 8-15 The Confrontation
When Saul leaves the cave, David follows him and sets the record straight. In these verses, David follows clear, biblical principles that teach us how we should react when we are wronged by others. Look at what he did:
David took the first step. (v 8)
David humbled himself before Saul. (v 8)
David honored his Saul. (v 8)
David spoke the absolute truth concerning the situation. (vv 9-11)
David declared his own guilt. (vv 9-11)
David committed himself to doing the right thing. (vv12-13)
David placed his case in the hands of the Lord to judge. (vv 12-15)
As we listen to David speak; we are given a clear picture of how all Christians should respond in times of personal hurt. There is too much here to consider every detail, but there are lessons here that we can glean!
We should not wait for the other person to make the first step (
We must remain humble and we must honor the offending party.
We should confess our own guilt in the situation
We must extend absolute forgiveness to the offending party (Eph. 4:32; Matt. 18:21-22; Matt. 6:12, 14-15).
We must commit ourselves to doing the right thing, regardless of what anyone else does. Just as surely as the offending person will face the Lord in judgment, so will we!
Ultimately, we must place our case in the hands of God and leave it with Him. If we carry around all the hurts and pains of this life, they will destroy us and eat us alive! We cannot allow the things others have done to us to ruin our life!
David’s grace in this situation touched the hard heart of King Saul. God used the actions of David to bring about peace that day. David got what he was after, not because he took matters into his own hands and set things right, but because he placed things in the hand of the Lord and demonstrated grace instead of bitterness.
The bottom line is, when we live the right kind of life and practice grace and forgiveness, God will take the pains of life and transform them into avenues of peace. I love that!
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