And he said to David, “You are a better man than I am, for you have repaid me good for evil. Yes, you have been amazingly kind to me today, for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me, you didn’t do it. Who else would let his enemy get away when he had him in his power? May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today. And now I realize that you are surely going to be king, and that the kingdom of Israel will flourish under your rule. 1 Samuel 24:17-20
Yesterday’s blog looked at the earlier part of this event. Now we come to an amazing segment in the relationship of Saul and David. David has spared Saul his life solely based on who God said Saul was. The theme of God’s presence and purpose continues in this passage. Notice where God is mentioned.
The first mention in this passage says, “for when the Lord put me in a place where you could have killed me.” As you face the circumstances in your life, do you consider the hand of God in orchestrating situations? When God acts, he acts with purpose. What was the purpose of bringing Saul to the point where he could have been killed by David? Since God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts, this may not always be obvious. In this case God may have intended for Saul to come to the acknowledgement of His plan to place David on the throne. At the same time, God may have been testing and challenging David to come to a deeper recognition of God’s purposes being greater than David’s feelings. Or, God might have intended for David’s and Saul’s men to see the results of recognizing and following God’s intentions. More likely, however, is that God had multiple purposes for many people.
As you face the variety of situations, do you consider God’s potential intentions for you and for others around you? Your awareness of God’s actions and intentions can make all the difference in the ways that you experience and learn from your life situations. Strive to remain in a genuine and communicative relationship with God so you may make the choices that are near to His heart and intentions.
The second reference states, “May the Lord reward you well for the kindness you have shown me today.” It is pretty amazing that God cares about what we do. Be careful here, because your acceptance by God into His family is by grace and not by anything you did that merits a reward. However, God sincerely cares about your actions. He knows they make a difference in the world. He has made you to make a difference in the world!
As you go about your week, ask God to show you the things that you do which please Him. Take the time to consider how God might respond when you are making a decision to act in a certain way. We don’t do these things to be rewarded, we do them because we treasure Him and love Him. Consider how you show love as you make your choices and recognize that God has placed you in that place for a purpose. If these are on your mind, you are prepared to choose wisely!