February 27 - The Lord's Own Reward
February 27
The Lord’s Own Reward
Bible Reading: 1 Samuel 26:1-25
David Spares Saul a Second Time
1Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?” 2Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph. 3And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. 4David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come. 5So David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped. And David saw the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army. Now Saul lay within the camp, with the people encamped all around him. 6Then David answered, and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, “Who will go down with me to Saul in the camp?” And Abishai said, “I will go down with you.” 7So David and Abishai came to the people by night; and there Saul lay sleeping within the camp, with his spear stuck in the ground by his head. And Abner and the people lay all around him. 8Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, please, let me strike him at once with the spear, right to the earth; and I will not have to strike him a second time!” 9But David said to Abishai, “Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” 10David said furthermore, “As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish. 11The Lord forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. But please, take now the spear and the jug of water that are by his head, and let us go.” 12So David took the spear and the jug of water by Saul’s head, and they got away; and no man saw or knew it or awoke. For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them. 13Now David went over to the other side, and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great distance being between them. 14And David called out to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, “Do you not answer, Abner?” Then Abner answered and said, “Who are you, calling out to the king?” 15So David said to Abner, “Are you not a man? And who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not guarded your lord the king? For one of the people came in to destroy your lord the king. 16This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die, because you have not guarded your master, the Lord’s anointed. And now see where the king’s spear is, and the jug of water that was by his head.” 17Then Saul knew David’s voice, and said, “Is that your voice, my son David?” David said, “It is my voice, my lord, O king.” 18And he said, “Why does my lord thus pursue his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in my hand? 19Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’ 20So now, do not let my blood fall to the earth before the face of the Lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one hunts a partridge in the mountains.” 21Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.” 22And David answered and said, “Here is the king’s spear. Let one of the young men come over and get it. 23May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed. 24And 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.” 25Then Saul said to David, “May you be blessed, my son David! You shall both do great things and also still prevail.” So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.
POOR JOSEPH. He was minding his own business, working for a man named Potiphar, when the boss's wife started getting fresh. She said, "Yo, Joe, come to bed with me" (Genesis 39:7, loose translation). So what did Joseph do? He made a quick dash for the exit! Joseph did the right thing, and you know what? He ended up in prison for it!
Poor Elijah. He was minding his own business, doing his thing as a prophet of God in Israel, when God told him to summon to Mount Carmel all the people of Israel, including 850 false prophets. So what did Elijah do? He prayed and won a mighty contest against the enemies of God! Elijah did the right thing, and you know what? He had to run for his life from an angry Queen Jezebel (see 1 Kings 18:1-19:9).
Poor Daniel. He was minding his own business, praying to God three times a day in his own room, when the king decreed that for thirty days no one could pray to anyone except the king (see Daniel 6:1-18). So what did Daniel do? He prayed to God, just as he had always done. Daniel did the right thing, and you know what? He got thrown into a den of lions!
"Whoa, now!" you might say. "Are you telling me that those guys all did the right thing, and they ended up worse than before?"
Yup.
"But," you might ask, "I thought right choices were supposed to protect us and provide for us."
Yup.
"So how come," you might wonder, "all those bad things happened to Joseph, Elijah, and Daniel? It doesn't sound like they were better off for making right choices."
Actually, they were. But their experiences--and the experiences of many people since--show that right choices aren't always rewarded. There's no guarantee that doing the right thing will bring immediate benefits; in fact, much of the time, doing the right thing doesn't seem to bring any good results at all.
When David was being chased by King Saul (1 Samuel 26), he chose to show mercy toward the king God had anointed. But sparing Saul's life made things worse for David, not better. His actions didn't promise immediate benefits, but David did the right thing anyway. And eventually God made David the king in Saul's place.
Doing the right thing may not always be rewarded immediately--perhaps never. But whether it's rewarded or not, doing the right thing will please God. As David himself said, "The Lord gives his own reward for doing good" (1 Samuel 26:23).
REFLECT: Have you ever been sorry for doing the right thing? Why or why not?
PRAY: "Lord, help me to do the right thing, even when I may not be rewarded. Right now I most need your help doing the right thing in the area of __________________________ ."