Today's Devotion:
Read 1 Sam 24:8-13
8 Then David went out of the cave and called out to Saul, "My lord the king!" When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. 9 He said to Saul, "Why do you listen when men say, 'David is bent on harming you'? 10 This day you have seen with your own eyes how the LORD delivered you into my hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, 'I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the LORD's anointed.' 11 See, my father, look at this piece of your robe in my hand! I cut off the corner of your robe but did not kill you. Now understand and recognize that I am not guilty of wrongdoing or rebellion. I have not wronged you, but you are hunting me down to take my life. 12 May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you. 13 As the old saying goes, 'From evildoers come evil deeds,' so my hand will not touch you. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Although there is some controversy over the numbers, Saul was probably 30 years old when he became king and he reigned for forty two years (according to NIV). Because of Saul's failure, David was anointed as the next king most likely within the first year or two of his reign. While David was still a young man, Saul became jealous of his abilities and popularity and began to hunt him down.
It is probably reasonable to presume that Saul hunted David for twenty or more years! All this time David knew that he was chosen to be the next king. Despite the constant fear for his life, David still didn't grab the crown when he had the chance -- two times in our reading today. Unlike Sarah, who decided to help the Lord's prophecy along by offering her maidservant as a surrogate mother, David trusted God enough to believe that the prophecies would come true in God's time.
Have you ever expected to hear about a new job or promotion 'any day now'? Or have you waited for test results, hoping each day that you would hear good news? We struggle to be patient for a week, much less for twenty years! We often want to take matters into our own hands to hurry things along. I long for the confidence that David had -- knowing that God would fulfill his promises at exactly the right time.
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