Shepherd To King-Day 11

08 Sep Shepherd To King-Day 11

Scripture: 1 Samuel 24:4b-8-NLT “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.

• To get a better understanding of what happened between King Saul & David and why David’s actions towards Saul were so conflicted, click here to read more: 1 Samuel 24

Observation: After reading this scripture passage, it is easy to see our human thought process at work motivated by our fleshly desires, which tends to want us to “get others before they get us.” As soon as David cut King Saul’s robe, his conscience was filled with conviction, and he immediately knew his actions were not in line with what God would want or how he should relate to those in authority. David demonstrated his change of heart by choosing to forgive all the acts that King Saul had committed against him instead of using them to justify the same destructive behavior.  

Application: Forgiveness is not easy. Forgiveness is not a feeling. Forgiveness is rarely a “one and done experience.” We may need to ask God to give us grace to help us continually keep our heart pure towards those we feel have hurt us or wronged us.  Forgiveness is a choice, a decision, and a directive from God. Forgiveness is a pathway to healing; a choice to honor God’s directive so we too can be forgiven. Forgiveness frees us from the mental stress of the act or violation we feel was committed against us and it allows God’s grace to enter into our situation and help us.

When someone has wronged us, we must remember that God’s Word says in Romans 12:19 NLT, “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.  For the Scriptures say, ‘I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.” David recognized this truth and chose to be obedient to God versus taking revenge on King Saul for wanting to hunt him down and murder him! Neither is vengeance ours to take. Just like David did in the cave, we too must trust God concerning those who have hurt us and wronged us.

God’s ways are not like our ways… and his thoughts are not like our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). God uses loving kindness to bring people to repentance and allows people space to repent before judgment. It is God’s desire that all people would be saved and repent.

Forgiveness is not always easy, in fact, it has been difficult for me when the person I have to forgive is very close to me and I feel disappointed or frustrated by their actions. I remind myself that I must forgive others so that I too can be forgiven, and ask God for grace to help me be obedient. We will need reliable people to confide in and hold us accountable as we are seeking to walk in forgiveness. This is why I value my J-Groups because we have talked about topics like this and shared God’s Word and our encouragement to one another as we are working through forgiving others. “Forgiveness is a medicine. Giving it to others will heal wounds in your heart.” (Author Unknown)

Prayer: Father, I ask that you help me to forgive those that I feel have wronged me or hurt me in any way. I choose to release the hurt and pain and embrace your healing. I understand that forgiveness is a process, and I am willing to submit to your Spirit and your Word to grow in this area. I accept that vengeance only belongs to you, and I must trust your process when forgiving others. Thank you for your love and grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Next Steps:

Additional scriptures to explore on forgiving others: 

• Mark 11:25
• Matthew 18:21-22
• Colossians 3:13
• Continue to grow your faith and circle of support by joining and consistently attending a J-Group and revisit scriptures on forgiveness when you feel challenged in this area. 
• Come back tomorrow to read Day 12

Deneen Mosley/J-Teamer

Deneen has been attending The Journey for over four years and loves the richness of the Word, the diversity of the fellowship, and the heart of serving that is experienced at The Journey. She appreciates The Journey’s commitment to LOVE WEEK and how The Journey delivers baptism. These expressions made the most impact on her decision to join almost five years ago.