24 March | Teens
«The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee: but mine hand shall not be upon thee.» 1 Samuel 24: 12
David and Saul had a very complicated history. Saul, the king of Israel, was so jealous and angry of David that he wanted to kill him. But David, even though he had clear opportunities to take revenge on Saul, chose the path of forgiveness and even honor by not returning evil for evil. Let's take a closer look at this story.
In one of his pursuits, Saul went into a cave to “relieve himself,” unaware that David and his men were hiding inside! David had the perfect chance to attack Saul, but instead, he cut off a piece of Saul's clothing as proof that he could have killed him, but he didn't. David respected Saul as the Lord's anointed and wanted to do no harm to him.
On another occasion, while Saul was sleeping in the camp, David snuck in. Again, he could have wounded or killed Saul, but he chose only to take Saul's spear and water jug as proof of his presence and of his mercy for the king.
These stories show us the power of forgiveness and honor. David could have justified vengeance, but he chose to honor God above his feelings or what seemed fair in human eyes. He teaches us that, even when we have reason or the power to retaliate, we should not repay evil with evil, but evil with good. After all, isn't that exactly how our King treats us?
Take Action
Try to practice forgiveness this week. If someone has hurt or angered you, think about how David forgave Saul. Try to understand this person's situation and, if possible, talk about what happened. Remember, forgiving doesn't mean forgetting what happened, but not letting it control your actions or your feelings.