Prayer: Father, there are characteristics and attitudes which You do not want present in my life. Teach me today. Amen.
Reading: 1 Samuel 18 key: vs. 7-8 “So the women sang one to another, as they were dancing saying, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands!” Then Saul became very angry—this saying was evil in his eyes—and he commented, “They’ve ascribed to David ten thousands and to me they’ve ascribed thousands. Now what more does he lack but the kingdom?” TLV
Attention: Former President Ronald Reagan is attributed with saying, ““There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don’t care who gets the credit.” King Saul would have done well to have embraced President Reagan’s quote. For jealousy allows a man to think and act foolishly.
Jonathan could not believe that his father meant harm to David without cause. Yet, Saul wanted his son, and daughter married to David, to embrace his anger toward David. He had ordered his courtiers to kill David too. Once again, we see King Saul terrorized by “an evil spirit from God (vs. 10).” No man is in his right mind when he is oppressed by an evil spirit.
To Jonathan’s credit, his heart was knit with David even though he was in line to take his father’s throne. Jonathan knew David had God’s anointing. His right to the throne did not supersede his love for David.
May we learn the influence of jealousy from the life of Saul is highly destructive. A jealous Saul wanted everyone around him to embrace his hatred of David, even his son Jonathan and his daughter Michal (David’s wife). Jealousy provoked Saul to defy God’s choice of David and make an attempt on Jonathan’s life. He was out of control when the jealous rage controlled him.
Action: I choose today to ask the Holy Spirit to keep a check on any jealousy I might have.
Yield: I choose today to yield my rights as a first-born son.
Engage: I choose today to engage intentionally to prevent jealousy from entering my heart.
Relationship: I choose today to be obedient to God in my thought life and actions.
Prayer: Father, may I not allow the seeds of jealousy to enter my mind or heart. May I see the cost through Saul’s life to allow jealousy to control and overwhelm me. May I love as You love and as Jonathan loved. Amen.
Memory Verse: Jacob (James) 3:16 “For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil practice.”
Music Video: Lauren Daigle—Here’s My Heart Lord https://youtu.be/d7XCkNSnEwI
Remember, “Abide in Yeshua, today!