October 10, 2019: Day 26 – I Samuel 26

This story may sound vaguely familiar to you, although instead of a cave this story takes place on the battle field.  David once again hears that Saul is pursuing him.  David in the dead of night sees where Saul is, sneaks in and steals his spear and water jug, and then taunts the person who was supposed to protect Saul by saying that he was pretty much worthless as bodyguard.  

Saul hear’s David voice and says how sorry he is and says how much better of a person David is and that great things will happen to David.  Does that sound at all familiar?  It should, and if it doesn’t then go ahead to chapter 24 and you will find the identical story, except for one pretty key component.  

At the end of chapter 24 David and Saul meet together and it is a really important kum ba ya moment.  They depart in peace and I said something like, finally, this whole adversarial thing is over.  David and Saul get together, they embrace, things are back on track.  Well, here things seem to get back on track but David doesn’t go back down to greet Saul but rather has Saul send someone up to get his spear and water back.  David’s trust of Saul, if at all present before, is completely gone.  

I don’t want to spoil anything but… the words of the next chapter are the following:  “David said in his heart ‘I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul.'”  He knew that Saul would never give up on pursuing him and trying to take his life by stealth.  It is time to make plans on his own and figure out how to embrace the future while Saul is trying to take his future away. 

Isn’t it the truth that sometimes we try to rely upon things that are super tenuous and don’t really hold up real well, but somehow we trick ourselves into thinking that they will work, or at least this one time it will work even if every other time it didn’t work at all.  Don’t rely upon what you hope will happen, you must rely upon God’s guidance and your hard work to make things happen.