April 1st

April 1^st

Jealousy is something that everyone has felt in their life time, a sin that touches even the purest hearts. How easy is it to long for things that aren't yours? To crave attention? This is Saul's problem in our reading today. When the women sing of how Saul killed his thousands and David his tens of thousands, Saul gets angry. Surely Saul has killed his tens of thousands too? Surely Saul is a warrior of equal or better standard? Well, at least Saul thought so. At this point, I got angry at Saul but also felt a little bad for him. I got angry because who cares how many men you've killed? Killing, even if it is in God's name, is not something to be taken so lightly and just counted out. But the fact that Saul was so angered by this refrain showed he had some self-esteem issues, probably arising when God left him. When you are with God, it does tend to bring a certain kind of confidence that can't be found anywhere else.

Anyhow, Saul gets angry and in his jealousy attempts to kill David several times, but David and Jonathan elude him every time. One line that really stood out to me was in David's prayer for strength: "I have done no wrong, yet they are ready to attack me." I remember Nikkie saying how she highlights her Bible, and this is the line I highlighted and then went back and underlined.This is one of the lines of the Bible that I think everyone can relate to. Pastor Taylor mentioned yesterday how people are ridiculed for their faith. Why would anyone make fun of someone for what they believe? It doens't concern them at all, so why bother making fun of it? The only answer I can come up with is this: people who make fun of others for their faith are lacking in their own. They have the same kind of self-esteem issue Saul had, they are without God. Only noticing (consciously or not) their lack of God would give them the idea to ridicule those who are with Him. Why? Because they are jealous. Who wouldn't want that comfort, that confidence, that comes along with God's love?

Luckily for those weak in faith, they don't have to stay that way. God is always ready to love, and to heal the broken faith of His people. That God can so easily welcome in people who once scorned Him is a giant lesson to be learned. Honestly, when people ridicule me, the last thing on my mind is letting them in. But with time, I learn to let it go, and let them in if they want. God goes through this process a lot quicker, and that is something I admit to being a little jealous of.

Have a nice Sunday, and keep all your April Fool's Day pranks safe!! :)

Gina