“By this I know that You are well pleased with me, because my enemy does not triumph over me.” (Ps. 41:11)
“Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancient says, 'Wickedness proceeds from the wicked.' But my hand shall not be against you....Therefore let the Lord be judge, and judge between you and me, and see and plead my case, and deliver me out of your hand.” (1 Samuel 24:12-15)
Proverbs 15:28 says, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.”
David experienced immense persecution from Saul, yet he never raised his hand in retaliation. He left the matter to the Lord. Twice David was tested with opportunity to take his revenge on Saul. In both cases, David chose the path of reconciliation over causing Saul harm.
The first time, Saul came into a cave where David and his men where hiding. David cut the corner of Saul's robe. Then he felt troubled about it and told his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 24:6)
David then followed Saul out of the cave to reconcile with him. He called out after him, “My lord the king! He then stooped down and bowed before Saul saying, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, “Indeed David seeks your harm?' Look this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.' Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it.” (1 Samuel 24:8-11)
The second time David spares Saul is when Saul and his men were hunting him down in the Wilderness of Ziph. David snuck into their camp while Saul and his men were sleeping. Rather than doing Saul any harm, he told Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?” He then took the spear and jug of water by his head. (1 Samuel 26:7-25)
When they were a far enough distance away, David confronted Saul. He told Saul, “Here is the king's spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.” (1 Samuel 26:24)
“Make us more to look like Jesus, form us in His likeness, to be more like Him. To act and think and speak like our humble King, wise and gentle we will be...”
We are not to repay our enemies evil for evil, but rather love at all times in all circumstances. Romans 12:19-21 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Commentary notes about these verses, “We must resist the tendency to avenge wrongs that are done to us. The expression give place to wrath may mean to allow God to take care of it for you.... Vengeance is God’s prerogative. We should not interfere with what is His right. He will repay at the proper time and in the proper manner.” [1]
This does not mean that we stand by passively and hope for God to squash those who cause us harm like a bug. We must always hope for what is best for those who cause us harm. Love always hopes, believes, forgives and perseveres.
“Spirit of God make us one...Come, reconcile division, come with humble hearts apologize” sings.
Commentary goes on to note that “Christianity goes beyond non-resistance to active benevolence. It does not destroy its enemies by violence but converts them by love. It feeds the enemy when he is hungry and satisfies his thirst, thus heaping live coals of fire on his head.” [2]
One commentary notes about 'heaping live coals of fire on his head' that there are “two lines of interpretation to this phrase. One is that this quotation from Proverbs 25:22 reflects an Egyptian ritual in which a man showed his repentance by carrying a pan of burning charcoal on his head. This was a dynamic symbol of the change of mind which had taken place in his life. The meaning would then be that our act of love in giving him food or drink would bring about a change of attitude toward us.” [3]
The prevailing view about 'heaping live coals of fire on his head' is that it refers to conviction or judgment by God for ones sin [see Psalm 140:9-10, Psalm 11:6, and Gen. 19:12-29]. Commentary notes, “Whichever meaning is to be held, it is obvious that verse 21 is closely linked with it. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. As believers we must resist the impulse to retaliate but rather we promote our sanctification by doing good to those who do evil to us. Therefore we exhibit our life of transformation before a watching world.” [4]
“We want to live more like the Savior, fiery love for all our neighbors, we want to be Your church.”
We cannot fight with evil with evil and expect to win the battle on God's terms. Mark 3:25 says, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Rather, we trust ourselves to our faithful creator.
1 Peter 4:19 says, “So let those who are suffering according to God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator by continuing to do what is good.” As we look to God and continue to do what is right, He will deliver us.
David says in Psalm 138:7, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.”
And Psalm 60:5, David cries out to the Lord, “Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.”
When we feel defenseless against the enemy, we are to look to the Lord. He is our defense, rock of our strength and our refuge (Psalm 62:6-7). He will deliver us with his right hand from the enemy. As one of my pastors, Steve Wiens, has noted in a sermon some time ago, God's right hand is His hand of power.
A perfect example of God delivering his people from the enemy when they were defenseless was as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. With power he battled against their oppressors. And he led them out as a pillar of cloud that went before them by day and fire by night. When the Egyptians came after them, God came between the two camps as a cloud of darkness to the one, while being a light by night to the other. He then split the Red Sea to allow His people to cross over into safety while closing the sea over their enemies who pursued them.
However, as I noted some weeks ago in my journal, our enemy is not people. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
David did not see Saul as his enemy. David treated Saul with respect and honor at every turn, trying to make a way for reconciliation in every encounter. David humbled himself and refused to lift a hand against him.
David had every reason to retaliate and rebel against Saul. Saul resented David for his success under him and treated David terrible. Saul was only interested in himself and protecting his position as king. He was more than willing to use his authority to destroy David because Saul saw David as a threat to his leadership.
Saul chose protecting his position over honoring God. His perceived threat of David led him to murder all the priests. He accused them all of conspiring against him with David (1 Samuel 22:13). He also accused all his servants of conspiring against him (1 Samuel 22:7-8).
Saul led, not by inspiring others to commit to a greater cause, but he rather ruled over others by using his positional power as a stick over others. Because of this, often people supported him to his face, but their hearts were not with him. Even his son Jonathan and daughter Michal hearts were with David while they gave lip service to Saul.
David, on the other hand, had no positional authority while he was running from Saul in the wilderness. Yet about four hundred men came out to follow him. 1 Samuel 22:2 says, “And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them.”
As my bible commentary notes, David attracted men without pursuing them and drew deep loyalty out of them. [5] Without condemning the men for their initial state, he came alongside them and invested himself into them. He believed in them and empowered them while calling them out into more. Eventually these men were turned into great warriors and conquerors.
“ You're gonna be worth it all!”
David sought first and foremost to be faithful to God in all that he did. If he would have been seeking the kingship, command under Saul or comfort, he would have had much reason to be angry with God as he left everything behind and fled for his life.
However, David treasured his relationship with God above all else. Because of this, he was willing to let everything else go if needed. When he was in the wilderness of Judah hiding for his life from Saul, he told God, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hand in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with morrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” (Psalm 63:3-5)
“You are the Lord, the Famous One...Great is Your fame beyond the earth” sings
David saw God as more than capable of delivering him from the hand of the enemy. He didn't take matters into his own hand, but rather waited on God to act.[a] When the Ziphites told Saul that David was hiding among them, Saul came after David. David did not fight, but rather he cried out to God for deliverance. Then a messenger came to Saul telling him that they the Philistines had invaded the land and Saul needed to return (1 Samuel 23:27-28).
At the same time that David hid from Saul, he was not a coward. David willingly entered into all that God had for him. When David was told that the Philistines were fighting against Keilah, David inquired of the Lord whether he should fight the Philistines on their behalf. The Lord told him, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keliah.” David took his men and fought with the Philistines, saving the inhabitants of Keilah. Then when Saul heard about it, he came after David. And David and his men fled, having been warned by God that the men of Keilah would turn him over to Saul. (1 Samuel 23:1-13)
David continually fought God's battles against the enemy to rescue others. He also fought to protect his family and friends. Raiders came to Ziklag, burned it with fire and took their wives, sons, and daughters. David was greatly distressed and his men, out of their grief, threatened to stone him. However he strengthened himself in the Lord and asked God if he should pursue them. God spoke yes, so he took his men and went after them.
Where David would not fight was to avenge himself or to claim God's promises. Rather, he trusted himself completely to God's care. At the same time, he didn't give up on or lose sight of all that God promised to him. He just trusted that God would bring it about in His way and His time.
“For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them.” (Ps. 44:3)
At different times, God sent David encouragement. When David was in the wilderness of Ziph, Jonathan came to David and strengthened his hand in God. He told him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you.” (1 Samuel 23:17)
“I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth” sings
Abagail also reminded David of his future as king, encouraging David to keep being faithful to God. When David was coming for Nabal after being insulted by him, Abagail met David, threw herself in front of him and spoke to him, “the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself.” (1 Samuel 25:29-31)
Thomas Kempis writes, never do evil for anything in the world. He goes on to write, “but anything done in charity, be it ever so small and trivial, is entirely fruitful inasmuch as God weight the love with which a man acts rather than the deed itself.” [6]
Thomas Kempis notes that one who loves much does much. He writes, he does well who serves the common good rather than his own interests. Too often, as he notes, works of charity are done because one expects something for themselves out of it. They hope for some reward, having motives of self interest.[7]
For instance, when David fought to rescue Keilah, he would have been completely discouraged if he had saved them with the sole expectation that they would return some loyalty to David. Right after fighting on their behalf and rescuing them, God told David that the men of Keilah would turn him and his men over to Saul when he came.
Thomas Kempis notes, “On the contrary, he who has true and perfect charity seeks self in nothing, but searches all things for the glory of God. Moreover, he envies no man, because he desires no personal pleasure not does he wish to rejoice in himself; rather he desires the greater glory of God above all things.”[8]
David did not envy Saul for his position as king. Rather David supported Saul and submitted to him. David honored that God had placed him in the position. In Psalm 57:4-5, as he fled from Saul into the cave, David cries out, “My soul is among lions; I long among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.”
“Those who trust in the Lord, are a strong mountain, they will not be moved” sings in the background.
Thomas Kempis goes on to write about the man of godly charity, “He ascribes to man nothing that is good but attributes it wholly to God from Whom all things proceed as from a fountain, and in Whom all the blessed shall rest as their last end and fruition. If man had but a spark of true charity he would surely sense that all the things of earth are full of vanity!” [9]
David trusted not in man or in himself. Rather David trusted in the mercies of God. As he looked to God to rescue him from his enemies and lead him in the path of righteousness, He found God was more than sufficient to meet all his needs.
Lord, forgive me where I have fought when I should not have and where I have not fought when I should have.
Teach us to trust You to deliver us from my enemies. Help us to see You as David did – a God more than capable of rescuing us. Give us hearts surrendered to your love and the strength we need to go through our difficulties. Fill our hearts with true charity for others and forgive us where we have had our own self interests tied to our love of others.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our enemies; In You we take shelter. Teach us to do your will, for You are our God; Your Spirit is good. Lead us in the land of uprightness. (Psalm 143:9-10)
The work which His goodness began,
The arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen,
And never was forfeited yet:
Things future, nor things that are now,
Nor all things below nor above,
Can make Him His purpose forego,
Or sever our souls from His love.
—Augustus M. Toplady [10]
1-2. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Ro 12:19). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
3-4. KJV Bible commentary. 1997, c1994 (2262). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
5axwell, John. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Second Edition. NKJV. Lessons in Leadership from the Word of God. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, Tennessee. 2007.
6-9. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.
10. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Ps 138:8). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
a. David almost took matters into his own hand when he was provoked by Nabal. However, David was stopped by Abigail who pleaded with him and reminded him of his faithfulness to God. David told Abigail, “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!” (1 Samuel 25:32-34)
Proverbs 15:28 says, “The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.”
David experienced immense persecution from Saul, yet he never raised his hand in retaliation. He left the matter to the Lord. Twice David was tested with opportunity to take his revenge on Saul. In both cases, David chose the path of reconciliation over causing Saul harm.
The first time, Saul came into a cave where David and his men where hiding. David cut the corner of Saul's robe. Then he felt troubled about it and told his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord's anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” (1 Samuel 24:6)
David then followed Saul out of the cave to reconcile with him. He called out after him, “My lord the king! He then stooped down and bowed before Saul saying, “Why do you listen to the words of men who say, “Indeed David seeks your harm?' Look this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, 'I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord's anointed.' Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it.” (1 Samuel 24:8-11)
The second time David spares Saul is when Saul and his men were hunting him down in the Wilderness of Ziph. David snuck into their camp while Saul and his men were sleeping. Rather than doing Saul any harm, he told Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord's anointed, and be guiltless?” He then took the spear and jug of water by his head. (1 Samuel 26:7-25)
When they were a far enough distance away, David confronted Saul. He told Saul, “Here is the king's spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord's anointed. And indeed, as your life was valued much this day in my eyes, so let my life be valued much in the eyes of the Lord, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation.” (1 Samuel 26:24)
“Make us more to look like Jesus, form us in His likeness, to be more like Him. To act and think and speak like our humble King, wise and gentle we will be...”
We are not to repay our enemies evil for evil, but rather love at all times in all circumstances. Romans 12:19-21 says, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.' To the contrary, 'if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Commentary notes about these verses, “We must resist the tendency to avenge wrongs that are done to us. The expression give place to wrath may mean to allow God to take care of it for you.... Vengeance is God’s prerogative. We should not interfere with what is His right. He will repay at the proper time and in the proper manner.” [1]
This does not mean that we stand by passively and hope for God to squash those who cause us harm like a bug. We must always hope for what is best for those who cause us harm. Love always hopes, believes, forgives and perseveres.
“Spirit of God make us one...Come, reconcile division, come with humble hearts apologize” sings.
Commentary goes on to note that “Christianity goes beyond non-resistance to active benevolence. It does not destroy its enemies by violence but converts them by love. It feeds the enemy when he is hungry and satisfies his thirst, thus heaping live coals of fire on his head.” [2]
One commentary notes about 'heaping live coals of fire on his head' that there are “two lines of interpretation to this phrase. One is that this quotation from Proverbs 25:22 reflects an Egyptian ritual in which a man showed his repentance by carrying a pan of burning charcoal on his head. This was a dynamic symbol of the change of mind which had taken place in his life. The meaning would then be that our act of love in giving him food or drink would bring about a change of attitude toward us.” [3]
The prevailing view about 'heaping live coals of fire on his head' is that it refers to conviction or judgment by God for ones sin [see Psalm 140:9-10, Psalm 11:6, and Gen. 19:12-29]. Commentary notes, “Whichever meaning is to be held, it is obvious that verse 21 is closely linked with it. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. As believers we must resist the impulse to retaliate but rather we promote our sanctification by doing good to those who do evil to us. Therefore we exhibit our life of transformation before a watching world.” [4]
“We want to live more like the Savior, fiery love for all our neighbors, we want to be Your church.”
We cannot fight with evil with evil and expect to win the battle on God's terms. Mark 3:25 says, “If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Rather, we trust ourselves to our faithful creator.
1 Peter 4:19 says, “So let those who are suffering according to God's will entrust themselves to a faithful Creator by continuing to do what is good.” As we look to God and continue to do what is right, He will deliver us.
David says in Psalm 138:7, “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life; you stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and your right hand delivers me.”
And Psalm 60:5, David cries out to the Lord, “Save us and help us with your right hand, that those you love may be delivered.”
When we feel defenseless against the enemy, we are to look to the Lord. He is our defense, rock of our strength and our refuge (Psalm 62:6-7). He will deliver us with his right hand from the enemy. As one of my pastors, Steve Wiens, has noted in a sermon some time ago, God's right hand is His hand of power.
A perfect example of God delivering his people from the enemy when they were defenseless was as he led the Israelites out of Egypt. With power he battled against their oppressors. And he led them out as a pillar of cloud that went before them by day and fire by night. When the Egyptians came after them, God came between the two camps as a cloud of darkness to the one, while being a light by night to the other. He then split the Red Sea to allow His people to cross over into safety while closing the sea over their enemies who pursued them.
However, as I noted some weeks ago in my journal, our enemy is not people. Paul tells us in Ephesians 6:12 that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
David did not see Saul as his enemy. David treated Saul with respect and honor at every turn, trying to make a way for reconciliation in every encounter. David humbled himself and refused to lift a hand against him.
David had every reason to retaliate and rebel against Saul. Saul resented David for his success under him and treated David terrible. Saul was only interested in himself and protecting his position as king. He was more than willing to use his authority to destroy David because Saul saw David as a threat to his leadership.
Saul chose protecting his position over honoring God. His perceived threat of David led him to murder all the priests. He accused them all of conspiring against him with David (1 Samuel 22:13). He also accused all his servants of conspiring against him (1 Samuel 22:7-8).
Saul led, not by inspiring others to commit to a greater cause, but he rather ruled over others by using his positional power as a stick over others. Because of this, often people supported him to his face, but their hearts were not with him. Even his son Jonathan and daughter Michal hearts were with David while they gave lip service to Saul.
David, on the other hand, had no positional authority while he was running from Saul in the wilderness. Yet about four hundred men came out to follow him. 1 Samuel 22:2 says, “And everyone who was in distress, everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was discontented gathered to him. So he became captain over them.”
As my bible commentary notes, David attracted men without pursuing them and drew deep loyalty out of them. [5] Without condemning the men for their initial state, he came alongside them and invested himself into them. He believed in them and empowered them while calling them out into more. Eventually these men were turned into great warriors and conquerors.
“ You're gonna be worth it all!”
David sought first and foremost to be faithful to God in all that he did. If he would have been seeking the kingship, command under Saul or comfort, he would have had much reason to be angry with God as he left everything behind and fled for his life.
However, David treasured his relationship with God above all else. Because of this, he was willing to let everything else go if needed. When he was in the wilderness of Judah hiding for his life from Saul, he told God, “Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hand in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with morrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips.” (Psalm 63:3-5)
“You are the Lord, the Famous One...Great is Your fame beyond the earth” sings
David saw God as more than capable of delivering him from the hand of the enemy. He didn't take matters into his own hand, but rather waited on God to act.[a] When the Ziphites told Saul that David was hiding among them, Saul came after David. David did not fight, but rather he cried out to God for deliverance. Then a messenger came to Saul telling him that they the Philistines had invaded the land and Saul needed to return (1 Samuel 23:27-28).
At the same time that David hid from Saul, he was not a coward. David willingly entered into all that God had for him. When David was told that the Philistines were fighting against Keilah, David inquired of the Lord whether he should fight the Philistines on their behalf. The Lord told him, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keliah.” David took his men and fought with the Philistines, saving the inhabitants of Keilah. Then when Saul heard about it, he came after David. And David and his men fled, having been warned by God that the men of Keilah would turn him over to Saul. (1 Samuel 23:1-13)
David continually fought God's battles against the enemy to rescue others. He also fought to protect his family and friends. Raiders came to Ziklag, burned it with fire and took their wives, sons, and daughters. David was greatly distressed and his men, out of their grief, threatened to stone him. However he strengthened himself in the Lord and asked God if he should pursue them. God spoke yes, so he took his men and went after them.
Where David would not fight was to avenge himself or to claim God's promises. Rather, he trusted himself completely to God's care. At the same time, he didn't give up on or lose sight of all that God promised to him. He just trusted that God would bring it about in His way and His time.
“For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, because You favored them.” (Ps. 44:3)
At different times, God sent David encouragement. When David was in the wilderness of Ziph, Jonathan came to David and strengthened his hand in God. He told him, “Do not fear, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find you. You shall be king over Israel, and I shall be next to you.” (1 Samuel 23:17)
“I lift my eyes to the hills, where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth” sings
Abagail also reminded David of his future as king, encouraging David to keep being faithful to God. When David was coming for Nabal after being insulted by him, Abagail met David, threw herself in front of him and spoke to him, “the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself.” (1 Samuel 25:29-31)
Thomas Kempis writes, never do evil for anything in the world. He goes on to write, “but anything done in charity, be it ever so small and trivial, is entirely fruitful inasmuch as God weight the love with which a man acts rather than the deed itself.” [6]
Thomas Kempis notes that one who loves much does much. He writes, he does well who serves the common good rather than his own interests. Too often, as he notes, works of charity are done because one expects something for themselves out of it. They hope for some reward, having motives of self interest.[7]
For instance, when David fought to rescue Keilah, he would have been completely discouraged if he had saved them with the sole expectation that they would return some loyalty to David. Right after fighting on their behalf and rescuing them, God told David that the men of Keilah would turn him and his men over to Saul when he came.
Thomas Kempis notes, “On the contrary, he who has true and perfect charity seeks self in nothing, but searches all things for the glory of God. Moreover, he envies no man, because he desires no personal pleasure not does he wish to rejoice in himself; rather he desires the greater glory of God above all things.”[8]
David did not envy Saul for his position as king. Rather David supported Saul and submitted to him. David honored that God had placed him in the position. In Psalm 57:4-5, as he fled from Saul into the cave, David cries out, “My soul is among lions; I long among the sons of men who are set on fire, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; Let Your glory be above all the earth.”
“Those who trust in the Lord, are a strong mountain, they will not be moved” sings in the background.
Thomas Kempis goes on to write about the man of godly charity, “He ascribes to man nothing that is good but attributes it wholly to God from Whom all things proceed as from a fountain, and in Whom all the blessed shall rest as their last end and fruition. If man had but a spark of true charity he would surely sense that all the things of earth are full of vanity!” [9]
David trusted not in man or in himself. Rather David trusted in the mercies of God. As he looked to God to rescue him from his enemies and lead him in the path of righteousness, He found God was more than sufficient to meet all his needs.
Lord, forgive me where I have fought when I should not have and where I have not fought when I should have.
Teach us to trust You to deliver us from my enemies. Help us to see You as David did – a God more than capable of rescuing us. Give us hearts surrendered to your love and the strength we need to go through our difficulties. Fill our hearts with true charity for others and forgive us where we have had our own self interests tied to our love of others.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our enemies; In You we take shelter. Teach us to do your will, for You are our God; Your Spirit is good. Lead us in the land of uprightness. (Psalm 143:9-10)
The work which His goodness began,
The arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen,
And never was forfeited yet:
Things future, nor things that are now,
Nor all things below nor above,
Can make Him His purpose forego,
Or sever our souls from His love.
—Augustus M. Toplady [10]
1-2. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Ro 12:19). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
3-4. KJV Bible commentary. 1997, c1994 (2262). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
5axwell, John. The Maxwell Leadership Bible, Second Edition. NKJV. Lessons in Leadership from the Word of God. Thomas Nelson. Nashville, Tennessee. 2007.
6-9. Kempis, Thomas a. The Imitation of Christ. Dover Publications, Inc. Mineola, New York. 2003.
10. MacDonald, W., & Farstad, A. (1997, c1995). Believer's Bible Commentary : Old and New Testaments (Ps 138:8). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
a. David almost took matters into his own hand when he was provoked by Nabal. However, David was stopped by Abigail who pleaded with him and reminded him of his faithfulness to God. David told Abigail, “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!” (1 Samuel 25:32-34)
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