1 Samuel 22-25
David's Unselfish Heart

Remember from your previous reading of 1 Samuel 16, David had been anointed king over all Israel by the hand of Samuel the prophet. After the defeat of Goliath, when he went to the courts of Saul, he went as a king, though only he and Samuel knew that. When Saul sought to kill him, he did so while David was the real king of Israel. When David slept on the hard dirt with nothing but a rock for a pillow, he did so as a king. When David fled for his life from Saul, he did so as a king. I imagine there were probably numerous times when David was frustrated over this fact. If he was the king, why was he enduring all this while Saul lived in comfort and safety?

The answer is because of his unselfish heart. It is arguably demonstrated in no place greater than chapter 24 of 1 Samuel. Saul, while pursuing David's life, entered a cave in the Wilderness of Engedi to rest himself. Unbeknownst to him, David and his men were already in the cave. His men advised him, "Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you" (24:4). David, however, could not bring himself to do this. Why? "The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord's anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord's anointed" (24:6). What a remarkable attitude! While he was the chosen king, he didn't long for position or prominence. He was only interested in serving the LORD, and letting the LORD chose the time and place for his ascension to the throne.

This is very similar to our last devotion, but it is such an important one for Christians to grasp. Our lives are not about ourselves, and our service is not what we dictate it to be. "But Jesus called them to him and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many'" (Matthew 20:25-28). And a special note to parents: we must be teaching this lesson to our children. The world they are growing up in oozes selfishness, and it is a blight upon us. It is easy to teach our children to "go to church;" it is much harder to teach them to, as we sometimes sing, live for "Others!" But, that is what the Christian life is all about-selflessness. The best way to do this is to show them by our own example. Father & mothers, show your children someone who isn't concerned about prestige in the church or anywhere, but someone who is concerned about those in need. Notice visitors at the assemblies and talk to them. Teach your children to say hello to strangers and to reach out to them in their times of difficulty. Let your children know there are things you could have, but you are sacrificing them in order to live for others, and that they should do the same.