1 Samuel 16:19-23 – Seek forgiveness and not excuse for sin

At the suggestion of one of his men, Saul felt that it was a good idea to have David comes and minister to him whenever he was terrorized by the evil spirit. So he sent for David. Remember that he was still not aware that David had been anointed as king to replace him. How will everything work out? The rejected king being served by the person that had been anointed to replace him. To think that every time he became violent and uncontrollable, David would come and serenade him. Saul even knew David’s name.  

So David came and with gifts as instructed by Jesse. He came with “a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine and a young goat…” for Saul. David came to serve Saul and immediately Saul took a liking to him. He loved David greatly. He was a likable character, diligent and committed. So Saul asked for David to remain in his service. The rejected king depended on the service of David to keep him calm whenever he had a spiritual attack. David’s skillful playing of the harp brings calm to Saul and makes the evil spirit depart.  

Ever imagine what would happen to Saul’s outcome had he chosen to be obedient and act according to what the Lord had instructed him to do? What could be avoided had he repented immediately when confronted with his wrong instead of finding excuses? We can be sure that the result would be very different, for God prefers to show mercy than to wield judgment. How Saul responded to God’s kind gestures are things that we must not emulate. Instead of resisting the grace of God, we must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. We must constantly evaluate our restlessness in life, seeking to identify what led us to the disquiet and agitation. Could they be symptoms of unforgiven sin brought about by our disobedience? Remember the longer we stay unrepentant, the more difficult the situation will become. Bear in mind that seeking forgiveness is not finding an excuse for our wrong. It is a sincere desire to seek God’s grace so that sin will be prevented from destroying our heart, and our relationship with Him.