The Unfavored
How would you feel f God abandoned you?
David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him; as a result, Saul set him over the army. And all the people, even the servants of Saul, approved. As they were coming home, when David returned from killing the Philistine, the women came out of all the towns of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they made merry, "Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands." Saul was very angry, for this saying displeased him. He said, "They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands; what more can he have but the kingdom?" So Saul eyed David from that day on. The next day an evil spirit from God rushed upon Saul, and he raved within his house, while David was playing the lyre, as he did day by day. Saul had his spear in his hand; and Saul threw the spear, for he thought, "I will pin David to the wall." But David eluded him twice. Saul was afraid of David, because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul. So Saul removed him from his presence, and made him a commander of a thousand; and David marched out and came in, leading the army. David had success in all his undertakings; for the Lord was with him. When Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in awe of him. But all Israel and Judah loved David; for it was he who marched out and came in leading them. David rose and went, along with his men, and killed one hundred of the Philistines; and David brought their foreskins, which were given in full number to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Saul gave him his daughter Michal as a wife. But when Saul realized that the Lord was with David, and that Saul's daughter Michal loved him, Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy from that time forward. Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle; and as often as they came out, David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his fame became very great. - 1 Samuel 18:5-16,27b-30
God rejected Saul, and Saul was not happy about that.
But Saul was to blame.
Saul chose to disobey God, making decisions for himself and putting himself above God by erecting a statue to Saul after declaring victory in war.
When David comes along and gains favor among the people for being willing to go out in battle with them, Saul gets jealous and plots to destroy David.
This is no way for a king to behave, is ii?
Having had God's favor, Saul knew what it was like to be fully supported by God, and now that all of that is gone, he falsely thinks he can make up for what was lost by eliminating David as competition.
The lesson in this for us might be to hold onto the favor God shows us and never let our egos take us away from God.
Saul couldn't admit to having done wrong. Instead he felt God abandoned him.
God does not abandon us. We are the ones who turn away from God.
As long as we remember that, we have nothing to fear.
More to come...