Gospel Reflections #1007: Looking into our own heart

1 Samuel 26:18 "David continued, ‘Why is my lord pursuing me? What have I done? What wrong have I committed?’"

These words can be described as a cry from the heart uttered by David, living as a fugitive, to King Saul who was pursuing him.

Although David had the opportunity to take revenge by killing King Saul, he deliberately limited himself to taking the king’s spear and water jug.

In this verse, having presented physical evidence, he publicly declares his innocence, stating, ‘I have neither the will to rebel against the king nor any sin.’ 

David did not merely appeal to emotion; he also questioned Saul, asking, ‘Why are you hounding a man of no account to this extent?’, thereby pointing out how absurd and excessive Saul’s actions were.

This was intended not only to appeal to Saul’s own conscience but also to make the soldiers around him realise the injustice of Saul’s actions.  

David does not brandish notions of good and evil or justice; rather, he honours King Saul, the anointed one, and entrusts the matter to God, who is at work within King Saul.

Following these words, David says, ‘If the Lord has incited you against me, may the Lord accept an offering and be appeased.’ In this way, David does not condemn King Saul, but focuses on God’s will.

When we wish to prove our own righteousness, or when we want our sense of justice to be recognised, we are surely pushing God aside.

Our motives are evident not only to God, but also to those around us.

We should strive for a faith that, in all circumstances, looks not to our own emotions but to God’s judgement, accepting and obeying it.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.