Today’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 17:32 through 19:17, Psalm 59, 1 Samuel 19:18-24
Two amazing men chosen by God—one has the name of “a man after God’s own heart” and the other an everlasting example of what not to do.
Let’s go back to the beginning of David and Saul’s lives and see what we can learn from them:
Both were chosen by God:
- Now the Lord had told Samuel the previous day, “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him (Saul) to be the leader of my people. –1 Samuel 9:15-16
- And the Lord, said, “this is the one; anoint him.” So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. –1 Samuel 16:12-13
Both had the Spirit of the Lord upon them:
- When you (Saul) arrive at Gibeah of God…At that time the spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person. –1 Samuel 10:6
- So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord cam powerfully upon David from that day on. –1 Samuel 16:13
Both started out as humble men:
- When Samuel met Saul and told him that “he and his family would be the focus of all Israel’s hopes” Saul replied, “but I’m only from the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest tribe in Israel, and my family is the least important of all the families of that tribe! Why are you talking like this to me?” –1 Samuel 9:20-21
- When Saul offered David his daughter Merab, David replied, “Who am I, and what is my family in Israel that I should be the king’s son-in-law?” David exclaimed, “My father’s family is nothing!” –1 Samuel 18:18
What happened?
Both of these men got off to a great start…
If you know the Bible stories you know that David did some bad things as well. In my eyes they seemed as bad or worse than what Saul did; what was the difference?
The condition of the heart—when Saul was disobedient the first time, Samuel told Saul that his kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. –1 Samuel 13:14
So God’s number one qualification for king was for that person to be “a man after His own heart.”
Success is one of the greatest tests of the heart, even more than failure.
Saul’s immediate success and fame led him to forget who made him king. Saul’s became filled with pride and arrogance instead of humility.
The heart is still the most important thing the Lord looks at. We can say and do the right things but it’s the heart that God judges. A heart full of pride cannot totally follow after God!
Holy Spirit, show us the areas of our heart that aren’t pleasing to you. Help us to repent, ask for your forgiveness and cleansing and then help us to have a heart like David!
In Jesus Name, Amen and Amen!
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©2012, Dianne Guthmuller
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 20:1 through 1 Samuel 21:15, Psalm 34
What a wonderful article and how wise you are. It is so true that the real test of our humility and pride are highlighted in our times of success glory and prosperity. Adversity and poverty bring most people to God out of need more than virtue but if and when God exalts us, granting us power, adulation and plenty, how quickly we forget his hand in all these things and speak of me,myself and I? Crowns are a far heavier burden than we ever care to realise and as always the answers reside with our servant king jesus. We must imitate him at all times, especially when we are exalted.