January 17, 2022

Passage Read: 1 Samuel 17-20
Meditation Verse: 20:42

Thought

Almost as quickly as he was exalted, David lost everything. He became famous through Goliath, and grew in fame by his handling of his soldiers and the success of all his missions. But all that made him famous caused Saul to be jealous. The more God blessed David, the more Saul hated him and plotted against him, until he was openly seeking to kill David. David had some close calls, until he was able to convince Jonathan that his father was indeed seeking to kill him. Then he fled, with nothing in his hands. It is tragic that David was driven away from all he knew and loved, to become a state enemy through no fault of his own. The more good he did to Saul, the more Saul sought to kill him. Yet, it seems so freeing to be released from all his responsibilities and possessions. Of course, he had no rest and was continually on the run, but all that was left to him was to just survive.

Application

God has plans for us that don't always make sense. We can be very successful by His hand, and He can take it all away in a moment. We can be on top of the world one moment, then cast down to the deepest pit. But it is all from God and designed by Him to test and train us. The greater He intends to exalt us, the greater He must try us and prove us. And it can be crushing at times, but if we hold onto Him and learn from our trials, we will become an instrument that He can exalt without cause for concern. Saul was small in his own eyes at first, but then he became arrogant even towards the Lord. David was filled with faith in the Lord, but God chose to bless then remove everything from him, in order to prepare him to rule for God rather than for himself and his own dynasty. That's what God wants from me too, to do all I am tasked with for His glory and not my own, for His purposes and not my own.