1 Samuel 19
The greatest acts of love often take the greatest amounts of courage.
Saul, angry and jealous over David’s leadership success, made the decision to kill David. Yet, David evades the wrath of Saul and is protected from harm. This divine protection was administered through two courageous people who lovingly sacrificed so that David might live. In one of the gravest situations of his life, God used David’s community to deliver him.
David writes Psalm 59 during the time that Saul is trying to murder him. The psalm starts like this:
Deliver me from my enemies, O my God;
protect me from those who rise up against me;
2 deliver me from those who work evil,
and save me from bloodthirsty men.
(Psalm 59:1-2)
David is crying out to God, asking him to deliver and protect him. David is confident that God is powerful enough to preserve him, and he knows that what Saul is doing, killing an innocent man, is wrong. David is appealing to God’s justice and his love in this Psalm.
In the end of the Psalm, David writes the following about this loving faithfulness:
But I will sing of your strength;
I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning.
For you have been to me a fortress
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my Strength, I will sing praises to you,
for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
(Psalm 59:16-17)
Even in the scariest of situations, David chooses to remind himself of God’s character and seeks refuge in Him. God hears David’s cry, and delivers him. God’s deliverance doesn’t necessarily look supernatural, such as a lightning bolt coming out of the sky to strike Saul, but it looks far more relational. The tools God uses for David’s protection are his best friend and wife, two people who eagerly submitted to God and courageously acted in the face of danger.
Though there might not be a bloodthirsty man chasing us down, each day, we need God’s protection. We are faced with temptation, with evil spiritual forces, and with “patterns of this world” (Romans 12) that can distract us from following the ways of Jesus. Thankfully, just as God protected David through his community, we can also find God’s protection in godly friends and community.
Like Michal and Jonathan, we too have the opportunity to be beacons of God’s love for others. They risked their reputation and their physical well-being to stick up for David. This type of sacrificial, courageous love is the same type of love Jesus modeled for us and calls us too.
God is always at work around us. He is eager to display his love through ordinary people like you and me.
Take a moment to reflect on the following prompts before you head off to your next thing.
Is there something you are asking God for? Is there an element of His character you need to be reminded of? Is there an area in your life where you need his help?
If so, think of a Christian friend in your community who can come alongside you. Unlike God, they cannot heal or transform you. But, they can be used by God to pray for you, encourage you, or provide for a need.
Now, think of someone you know who needs to experience God’s love and care. Is there something you can do to display God’s love for them? It could be as simple as sending a kind or encouraging text or simply asking them what they need. Pray, and ask the Spirit to bring someone to your mind.
Michal and Jonathan were beacons of God’s protection to David. As a community, may we come alongside each other and be tangible expressions of God’s character to each other.
