“So, David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave, and went on his way.”
– 1 Samuel 24:7
Oh, we have so much to learn from this 1 Samuel 24:7. This is a situation where David and his men had the opportunity to strike down Saul. David knew he was going to be king, and David knew Saul was out to kill him. This was a perfect opportunity to eliminate Saul. Step into what God has ordained. To be king. But David knew that was not God’s way. God’s word was not for him to kill Saul, for him to attack Saul, for him to take the throne this way. And so, David says, “No.” He persuaded his men, “Don’t attack Saul. We’re not going to attack Saul.” And they let Saul go on his way.
We are prone to try and take matters into our own hands. We need wisdom and patience to walk in step with the Spirit and in obedience to God’s Word.
Following David’s Example: We Must Trust and Obey God
How do you do that? That requires trust in God. That requires patience to not take things into your own hands. It requires obedience to God to not go outside of God’s word in order to try to accomplish even God’s purposes.
I think about that, and I think, “I need all those things. I want all those things in my life.” Don’t you? Don’t you want to trust God and His ways for your life, in such a way that you’re patient? You don’t take things into your own hands, or you go outside of God’s word, even, in impatience, trying to speed something along? Don’t you want to live with trust and the promises of God, and the purposes of God, and patience that God will bring about His promises and purposes to pass in due time as we obey Him. As we trust Him. As we rest in Him.
1 Samuel 24:7: Asking God to Help Us Trust Him
So we pray, God, help us. Help us to be patient. Help us to trust You. God, we are so prone to take things into our own hands. To try to speed up what we think should happen here or there, in this pace or on that schedule.
Asking for the Ability to Trust in God’s Timing
And God, we pray for grace. For wisdom. For patience to trust Your timing. To obey Your word. To walk in step with Your spirit, according to Your leadership, not our own. Not to try to take things in our hands and, specifically, not to go outside the bounds of Your word. To try to cut corners here or there that You are not calling us to cut. Oh, God. This can apply in so many different situations in our lives.
We just pray for a prevailing trust in our hearts before You. A belief, a faith, that You will lead and guide according to Your timing, in ways that are good. And we pray for wisdom to know when to act, when not to act, and we pray for Your word to be our guide in that.
God, help us not to get ahead of You. At the same time, we don’t want to be so patient, so to speak, that we are lagging behind what You are leading us to do. Help us, we pray. We need Your spirit’s help. We need the help that comes from Your word to know what You are leading us to do, and to walk in obedience to You, and as we do, to trust in Your provision along the way. To trust in Your timing. Oh, God. Help us to walk patiently, humbly, and faithfully before You. Today and each day of our lives, we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
