RTW 2023

“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the LORD is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.” So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.

After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way, David came out and shouted after him, “My lord the king!” And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.Then he shouted to Saul, “Why do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you? This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn’t true. For the LORD placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, ‘I will never harm the king—he is the LORD’s anointed one.’ Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn’t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me. “May the LORD judge between us. Perhaps the LORD will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you.”
1 Samuel 24:4-12

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Now Samuel died, and all Israel gathered for his funeral. They buried him at his house in Ramah.

1 Samuel 25:1a

• Because of the Fall, we have enemies.
• We know people we have a hard time loving, or we know people who have a hard time loving us.
• How do we respond?
• Matthew 5:44
• David resists harming Saul who is trying to kill him.
• David realizes Saul’s worth and respects that even though he is a sinful man, he is still the king God had chosen for Israel.
• We need to realize that those we are in conflict with are image bearers of God.
• We must resist the urge to fight with weapons of this world.
• David seeks reconciliation with Saul.
• God gives us strength and courage to make the first step towards our enemies.
• David and Saul reach an agreement.
• David will keep his word.
• True reconciliation leads to continuing love and goodness.
• Conflict gives us a chance to get closer to one another and glorify God.
• Always remember…”it’s not about me.”
• The Greater David is the perfect model.
• Romans 5:8

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Remember…it’s not about me! God is molding me into the likeness of the Greater David, His Son.