When Digory returns to Aslan with the apple, Aslan plants it for
protection for Narnia. But they then have a discussion about how Digory was
tempted to steal an apple for his Mother. Aslan explains, “It would have healed
her; but not to your joy or hers. The day would have come when both you and she
would have looked back and said it would have been better to die in that
illness… That is what would have
happened, child, with a stolen apple. It is not what will happen now. What I
give you now will bring joy. It will not, in your world, give endless life, but
it will heal. Go. Pluck her an apple from the tree.” Digory takes an apple home
to his mother and it heals her.
So to set the stage for today’s passage, Saul is currently king. David
has been anointed as his successor, but hasn’t taken his place yet. We’re
looking at a chapter in the midst of when Saul is angry with David and trying
to kill him.
Read 1 Samuel 24:1-4. This passage always cracks me up. We grow up
learning about these people in the Bible thinking they are so holy and perfect
or malicious and evil and forget that they were just normal people like us.
They worried about things. They had jobs and families. They had to take time
for eating and sleeping and yes, “relieving themselves.” I can’t tell you how
many times I’ve read about Saul taking care of business in the cave and I
chuckle every time!
But anyway, that’s not the point of what we’re looking at this passage
for. So we see Saul was off fighting the Philistines and as he returns someone
tells him where he can find David. We could talk a lot about how Saul is living
anything but an unleashed life at this point, but since our focus is David,
write down just one example of how NOT to live an unleashed life based on Saul?
The biggest thing I see is he’s lost his focus. Instead of serving God
and leading the nation of Israel,
he’s off chasing down David for some personal vendetta. To live an unleashed
life, we need serve God and follow His will for our lives.
Ok, so David’s got a piece of Saul’s robe. What happens next? Read 1
Samuel 24:5. Can you relate to how David’s feeling here? Maybe much like David,
you’re with a group of friends and you do something that you think is no big
deal, but then afterward you feel guilty about what you’ve done?
Read 1 Samuel 24:6-7. Here we see why David felt bothered by what he had
done. The Lord, through Samuel, had anointed David as the next king, but David
realized that he needed to wait on the Lord’s timing. He felt that since God
hadn’t told him to kill Saul it was wrong for him to do so. David could have
easily killed Saul and justified his actions with a litany of excuses: “It’s self-defense, Saul’s out to kill me.”
“It’s all right, because God promised me the throne anyway.” “It’s all right because
I am in the right, and even Jonathan knows that I deserve the throne.” “This is
a God-given opportunity and I should take it.” Or even, “I’m just so tired of
running and fighting Saul. This can end all of that now.” But David knew they were all just excuses and
he shouldn’t kill Saul.
How often are we in
situations where we could do something we know isn’t right, but can come up
with a good excuse to justify our actions? I challenge you (and myself) to not
give in just because we can come up with a good excuse.
Another thing to take note of at the end of verse 7, Saul just now left
the cave. He was clearly taking his time since David had been able to sneak
around to cut the robe, return to his men, think about what he had done and
talk to his men about it…
Read 1 Samuel 24:8-15. Saul leaves the cave and David follows and lets
him know what just went down. David isn’t boastful; he points out the facts and
says that the Lord will judge them both for their actions. Can you imagine
being Saul in this situation—quite a humbling experience!
As we read on, we see Saul’s response to David. Read 1 Samuel 24:16-22.
Saul really is humbled by the experience. He acknowledges how honorable David
is for how he handled the situation. Saul also sees that the Lord is with David
and that David’s kingdom will last once he takes over. He also asks David to
extend mercy to his descendants, which David agrees to.
What can we learn from David in the passage about living an unleashed
life?
David trusted God and waited on His timing. David didn’t take matters
into his own hands. When God promises us something, we can be sure that He will
follow through on that promise. If we try to take things into our own hands, we
can make God’s promises happen, but it doesn’t turn out as well as if we waited
for God to do it His way.
Just like the apple in The
Magician’s Nephew. We can “steal” God’s promises and He’s true to His Word,
so they will come true, but not the way He intended.
There are many other examples of this in Scripture. Take Abraham &
Sarah, for example. God promised him descendants as numerous as the stars, but
as he was getting older and older he still had no children. Instead of trusting
God, Sarah (his wife) says to sleep with her servant and maybe then he’ll have
a son. Well sure enough, the servant gets pregnant, but it’s just a bad
situation. Sarah is jealous/bitter/angry about the servant having a son. And
years later when God fulfills His promise and Sarah has a son of her own, the
two boys don’t get along. Much heartache is caused as a result of Sarah trying
to force God’s promise on her own timetable.
Can you think of another example in the Bible of a person trying to take
matters into their own hands and force or steal a promise from God?
Have you ever tried to take things into your own hands and not wait on
the Lord’s timing?
I’ve talked a lot about waiting on the Lord’s timing… what does that
even mean? What does that look like in your life?
How is this relevant this week?
How can you make this practical once you get home?
“Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new
strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get
tired, They will walk and not become weary.” (Isa. 40:31) How does this
apply to what we’re talking about?
To live an unleashed life, we need to trust God. Even when things don’t
make sense to us. Even when we feel like God isn’t following through on His
promises to us. Chapter 4 of Unleash!
talks about how God created us on purpose, with a purpose, and for a purpose. We
need to trust that God will do what He says He will do and not take matters
into our own hands.
David could have killed Saul and sped up the process of becoming the
next King of Israel. Had Saul died while relieving himself in the cave, David
would have been king, just as God promised he would. But David would have lived
to regret the day he took matters into his own hands.
God wants more for your life than you can imagine. Don’t settle for
less!
Can you think of a time you took matters into your own hands and it
didn’t turn out so well?
How about a time when you wanted to take matters into your own hands,
but opted to trust God instead?
How is all of this relevant this week?
How can you make this practical once you get home?
“Never pay back evil for
evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight
of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be
at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, "VENGEANCE
IS MINE, I WILL REPAY," says the Lord. "BUT IF YOUR
ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK ; FOR IN SO
DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD." Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Rom. 12:17-21) How does this
apply to what we’re talking about?
Oh and I should probably cite my sources, as to not be accused of
plagiarism :)
I took the list of excuses David could have made from http://www.enduringword.com/commentaries/0924.htm.
And of course the sign and Aslan quote were taken from C.S. Lewis’ book,
The Magician’s Nephew.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For youth group, I wrote a few of the devotionals we put in a booklet for the teens. The second trip we did was a Missions Trip to New York where we did some Street Evangelism in NYC and some work projects in Upstate NY. Prior to this trip we Read Unleash by Perry Noble and focused on that and the life of David.
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