Trust God to look out for you.
| posted 1/30/2009
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When you ask yourself the above question, ask it gently. When someone offends you or works against you, it's foolish to force yourself to say you've forgiven him or her. Especially if that person is anything like King Saul, your reticence may be merited. Even after their relationship appeared to be ironed out, David and his men returned to their hideout (24:22) to keep themselves from further danger.
The first step is to trust God to work with this person. David did that in two ways. He assumed God was in charge of the situation. If Saul was still king, then that must have been God's will. Also, David did not assume he was right and Saul was wrong—even when it sure looked like it. Although Saul had tried to murder David, David responded by not murdering Saul when he had the chance, refusing to pay evil for evil. When you leave the judgment and consequences in God's hands, you indicate that in the face of grievous error, you believe in God's ability to rescue you and bring about justice. Under that umbrella of God's protection, you can afford to see your enemy as a person with heartbreaks and problems, in need of God's love, perhaps even from you. (See also Numbers 14:11-25; 1 Samuel 24; Matthew 7:1-5; Matthew 18:21-35; Luke 6:27-36.)
Good Words to Remember:
Let the LORD judge between you and me. 1 Samuel 24:12
Today's Challenge:
Has someone broken your trust? If so, how would you see him or her in a new light—with God's help?
Copyright 2001 by the author or Christianity Today International/Christian Bible Studies.
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