Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 24 (day four)
“As the proverb of the ancients says, “out of the wicked comes forth wickedness; but my hand shall not be against you.” V. 13
In His sermon on the mount, Jesus made reference to this same truth. Matthew 7:16-20 says, “You will know them by their fruits…” David understood this truth…he could not believe God on one issue and then ignore Him on another. To obey and honor the Lord, David must trust His authority to bring about what He has promised. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit. David’s men might have rationalized that God had delivered Saul into their hands. David saw the bigger picture. David knew that to raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed would be evil.
Isn’t it easy to take matters into our own hands? “Look Lord, here is the best way for this to play out.” The end does not justify the means. The way we get to the final outcome is as important to God as the outcome itself. Trust God…He will keep His promises
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”~~Martin Luther King, Jr.
It is true that you learn a lot about a man’s character by his actions at times of challenge and controversy. How he treat others when he has the authority and power ultimately tells who he or she is. Evil hearts produce evil actions. Godly hearts produce godly actions. A man after God’s own heart is full of grace and mercies. A wise man sees the bigger picture.
David was a wise and a Godly man. A wise man chooses the long-term wins over the short-term wins and chooses to obey and honor God’s authority and His will over men’s rational thoughts and actions. I totally agreed with this assessment, “David knew that to raise his hand against the Lord’s anointed would be evil.” David was a man after God’s own heart and he chose to treat Saul with grace and mercies at times of challenge. Having a bigger picture helps shape our long-term strategic actions.
A good tree is expected to produce good fruits. The metaphor, “Good tree cannot bear bad fruit” has some life and team work values. Caring actions surely bring good and positive outcomes. Evil actions surely bring chaos to our lives; kindness and a Godly heart surely will bring peace and joy to our daily lives and our surroundings. We are measured by the actions we take. A man’s character is revealed by the actions he chooses at times of challenge and controversy.
I was reminded with the Golden Rule which can be considered a law of reciprocity in some religions. It is the principle of treating others as one would wish to be treated. How we treat others ultimately tells all and reveals our true character!
It is true that, “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”~Martin Luther King, Jr.
David surely is the man after God’s own heart! Great blog topic!