Bible Reading for July 30 – I Samuel 18:20-30

What do you do when someone’s out to get you? Oh, it may not be as dramatic as Saul trying to kill David. Maybe it’s a coworker who is jealous of your abilities. Maybe it’s a rival or competitor in business who is afraid of your success. Or maybe, like David, someone in your own family is jealous because you are receiving time and attention from a mutual loved one. After all, Saul wasn’t the only father who ever looked askance at a boy’s attentions to his precious daughter.

It’s easy to know what to do if you have done something wrong to bring on such ill treatment – you apologize and try to make amends. But what do you do when you really haven’t done anything to deserve someone else’s jealousy and suspicion?

It would be easy for us to fight fire with fire, to respond with the same sort of grudging resentment that others have shown toward us, and thus escalating the tension. In contrast, look at David’s humble attitude in verse 23. Instead of being proud of his military successes or even his musical talents, he insists that he isn’t worthy of marrying into Saul’s family. Just so, a humble attitude usually goes a long way toward diffusing any jealousy that comes our way.

Moreover in verse 27 we see that David was willing to be obedient to the lawful authorities, even if their commands sprang from bad motives, and even if implementing those commands would be difficult or dangerous. As long as what he was being asked to do was in accordance with God’s will, David was more than willing to comply.

Just so, a great way to diffuse other people’s suspicions is to keep our focus on our proper responsibilities. Working hard and proving that we are good team players goes a long way toward proving that we aren’t trying to undercut anyone else or pull anyone else down – we’re just working for the success of the family or the company, just trying to help those we are called to serve.

And in both of these ways, we see again an opportunity to demonstrate the character of Christ, the One Who humbled Himself not only before the Father, but before the religious leaders and Roman officials who condemned Him unfairly. He never wavered from His mission to save unworthy sinners, even though that mission cost Him His life.

So, if Jesus could earn our trust through His humility and His self-sacrificial focus doing God’s will for our good, shouldn’t we try to earn the goodwill of others by following His example? Let’s pray that He would fill us with His Spirit so that we might live this way today.

I Samuel 18:20-30 (ESV)

Now Saul’s daughter Michal loved David. And they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.
21 Saul thought, “Let me give her to him, that she may be a snare for him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him.” Therefore Saul said to David a second time, “You shall now be my son-in-law.”
22 And Saul commanded his servants, “Speak to David in private and say, ‘Behold, the king has delight in you, and all his servants love you. Now then become the king’s son-in-law.'”
23 And Saul’s servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, “Does it seem to you a little thing to become the king’s son-in-law, since I am a poor man and have no reputation?”
24 And the servants of Saul told him, “Thus and so did David speak.”
25 Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.'” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
26 And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son-in-law. Before the time had expired,
27 David arose and went, along with his men, and killed two hundred of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king’s son-in-law. And Saul gave him his daughter Michal for a wife.
28 But when Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul’s daughter, loved him,
29 Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David’s enemy continually.
30 Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed.