For 12 years, King Saul hunted David like he was an animal. For 12 years David fled from his home land. He lived in caves, hid in mountains, and even lived with his old enemy, the Philistines. Maybe the most dramatic moment of all was when David was hiding in a cave. It happened that King Saul went into that cave. David, at the urging of his men, had the opportunity to kill Saul and end the reign of terror. David took out his knife and then instead of killing Saul, he merely cut off a piece of his robe. Saul never even knew it happened. When Saul left the cave, David showed him the cutting and shouted to him, “May the Lord Judge between you and me.” (1 Sam 24:12).
He could have killed Saul, but instead he left vengeance to God.
We love to call David “a man after God’s own heart” and long to become a man or woman after God’s heart. What does it mean to be a man or woman after God’s own heart? This moment in David’s life gives us insight into his heart. Instead of seeking vengeance or even justice, David was willing to let God handle things. He said, “May the Lord judge between you and me. And may the Lord avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.” (24:12). In modern language he said “Saul, I don’t understand why you are trying to kill me, but I will not raise my hand against you. I will let the Lord handle all of this.”
It is a rare person who can truly agree to disagree and not let it destroy the relationship. We all want all want relief. We all want justice. We all want our own way. We can be like the little boy who came home from school and told his mother that the bully in class had hit him and that tomorrow he was going to hit him back. His mother told him that vengeance belongs to the Lord and he needs to let God handle it. Little Johnny replied, “Okay, I will give him until Friday.”
Sometimes you have to agree to disagree, but in so doing, you must not be spiteful or hateful. He you must not cut off the other person. Let him or her be who they are. You have to say, “May the Lord judge between you and me.”
Can you do that? If so, then maybe you are a man or a woman after God’s own heart.
Lonnie Davis