David is on the run with Saul in hot pursuit. Saul doesn’t like the women singing, “Saul has killed his thousands and David his tens of thousands.”

At first, Saul thinks he will get rid of David by getting him to enemy lines and letting the Philistines do him in through battle, but that doesn’t work—David is too good of a soldier.

Saul pursues David himself, trying to track him down. But that doesn’t work either, for David finds out that Saul knows his hiding place. David moves on and Saul finds his new hiding place, but David finds out that Saul has found his next hiding place. Well, you get the idea.

One day, David is in the back of a cave, unbeknownst to Saul. Saul just happens to have “the urge” and goes into the mouth of the cave to relieve himself. (Don’t you just love the real life aspect of Scripture?) David could easily come up behind Saul and kill him in one fell swoop, but David honors both the man and his anointed position. Instead, David cuts off a small piece of Saul’s robe.

As Saul is leaving the cave, David goes out and calls to him.

“My Lord, the king!” When Saul looked behind him, David bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground. He said to Saul, “This day you have seen with your own eyes how the Lord delivered you into my own hands in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you; I said, “I will not lift my hand against my master, because he is the Lord’s anointed… I cut off this piece of your robe but did not kill you. I Samuel 24:8, 10,11

Saul was striken by what David had done and said.

Saul wept aloud.”You are more righteous than I. You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. I know that you will surely be king.” I Samuel 24:16, 17, 19

David trusted the Lord to provide and indeed He did.

Last week, I was in such turmoil. With mother in the hospital  a second time, should I go forward with my own surgery, knowing I wouldn’t be able to take care of her? So many were encouraging me to go on. I could see no way to do this. But once I turned it over in God’s hands, He provided the right people in the right way, and with his perfect timing. 

Once I released it, I felt such peace. I still couldn’t see how the timing was going to work out, but He knew. I was admitted at 11:30 and mother was released at 7:00 that evening after I was settled in and when my daughter could get there to take care of mother. He has provided caregivers for us both. I am reminded again of one of my favorite verses—Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

~ Joyce ~