Ep 616 – 1 Samuel 25:32-38

Save yourself! Sounds like good advice, especially if you find yourself in danger and have the option of getting yourself out of the situation. But sometimes, our attempts to save ourselves are motivated by a refusal to accept where God has placed us. We don’t like our circumstances, so we come up with a way to escape them. Rather than trust God and look for what He might be trying to teach us, we take matters into our own hands. And in 1 Samuel 25:32-38, David was going to see get a first-hand lesson on the difference between self-salvation and the kind God can bring. Men make lousy saviors. Because we lack the power to bring about true change. David could have dealt with Nabal on his own terms, but the outcome would have been less-than-satisfactory. He could have wiped out Nabal and all his men, but he would have destroyed his own reputation while doing so. David could try to save his own honor or let God do it for him. He could seek revenge or allow God to enact vengeance – according to His terms and on His timeline. But, like David, we all find ourselves wrestling with the subtle snare of self-salvation.