Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had departed from Saul. – 1 Samuel 18:12

Today’s Scripture Reading (December 11, 2012): 1 Samuel 18

Sometimes I wonder how much of our actions are really based on fear. How much of what I do or of how I react is for no other reason than because I am afraid. One of the concerns that I have is about our unwillingness to talk about some of the issues. We create hot topics around us, things like homosexuality, abortion, and even theories of creation have become some of the last outposts of the faith. And because they are the last outposts, they are the place where we build our biggest defenses. But deep down those defenses are really built on fear. We are afraid to open up discussions on the issues and really listen to people – because our faith is all about our defenses - and we are afraid that if our defenses fall, our faith will fall with it.

As the story of Saul starts to move toward a conclusion, Saul begins to be motivated by fear. At one point in his life he had believed that he was self sufficient and needed no one to help him reach his destiny. But now he saw David rising and he was experiencing fear and the realization of how inadequate that he really was.

Saul was afraid of David. He saw David standing where he remembered that he had once stood. David had the support from God that Saul had once experienced, but had never valued. And now, what was not valued had slipped away. And Saul’s fear was that because David had the favor of God that that might cause David to have the favor of the people. In fact, that is exactly what he saw happening around him – even within his own family. And as the people left in favor of David, Saul’s kingdom became vulnerable.

Whenever we take for granted the things of God, we begin to lose his favor. And then fear creeps in and begins to cripple us. I believe that there is no discussion that we need to be afraid of – God is fully capable of defending his own territory, and all we need to do is to lift him up and go where he tells us to go. I am not sure what to do with our hot buttons. But I am convinced that we need to start having the discussion, and recognize that God’s only call on our lives in that we would go – and love – not taking his things for granted. God is the answer to all of our fear – he really is.     

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 19