2 Samuel Chapter 1: Verses 11-12 (NIV-UK)
Then David and all the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them.They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.
David knew that he had been anointed, under God’s direction, to be the next king of Israel. That doesn’t mean that when the time came for him to take up that role, that there was any great sense of celebration over the death of Saul, even though he made life so difficult for David. I’m certain that David would have hoped that he could have fulfilled his calling with his dear friend Jonathan at his side. And he was always mindful that Saul too had been anointed by God. So, it’s a measure of his character that there was a proper sense of mourning when he and his men heard of their deaths.
What struck me however was their concern for the bigger picture – the defeat of the army and the impact on the nation of Israel. Saul’s disobedience didn’t just affect his own life, it affected the whole nation. David’s life would now also be the same, and he made a good start by mourning the state of the land over which he would eventually rule.
Our actions and the way we live don’t simply have an impact on us. It affects those around us, for good or ill. By living as God intends us to, we have the potential to influence those we come into contact with for God’s glory. And whatever we do, if we have had any kind of trouble or harassment from others, we should never feel any kind of pleasure if we hear that they in their turn have fallen on difficult times. That’s the conduct of a true, Godly ambassador.
Dear Lord,
I’m grateful for the sense of integrity we read of in the way that David heard of the death of Saul and his sons. Help me always to be aware that all I have is through Your grace. Help me also to conduct myself as a Godly ambassador. I ask in Jesus’ Name. Amen.