Louise McEvoy, Member of St. Luke’s since 2008

1 Samuel 24: 2-7 (CEB)

2 So Saul took three thousand men selected from all Israel and went to look for David and his soldiers near the rocks of the wild goats. 3 He came to the sheep pens beside the road where there was a cave. Saul went into the cave to use the restroom. Meanwhile, David and his soldiers were sitting in the very back of the cave. 4 David’s soldiers said to him, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he promised you, ‘I will hand your enemy over to you, and you can do to him whatever you think best.’” So David snuck up and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 5 But immediately David felt horrible that he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe.6 “The Lord forbid,” he told his men, “that I should do something like that to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lift my hand against him, because he’s the Lord’s anointed!” 7 So David held his soldiers in check by what he said, and he wouldn’t allow them to attack Saul. Saul then left the cave and went on his way.

 Reflection:

 Jack-in-the-Box curly fries. My warm Christmas cookies right out of the oven. Fresh sushi that melts in your mouth. A tall cold drink on a hot day. Chips & salsa at a Mexican restaurant. Our family has absolutely no self-control when it comes to these items. None. Shameless. On more serious matters, I have a hard time with self-control when a repeat offender continues to do “X” over and over again. And when someone has harmed one of our girls, move over Incredible Hulk because Mama Bear cannot contain herself. It’s ON. 

 

Merriam-Webster defines self-control as “restraint exercised over one’s own impulses, emotions, or desires.” Whose restraint? Ours. I want to challenge us further. Self-control of the flesh is usually temporary. When we rely on and allow for the Spirit’s self-control to work in us, it is a whole different ball game. The effects are longer lasting. The effects have an eternal impact. 

 

Before we look at today’s scripture, we need to look at the events leading up to this particular story. King Saul was out to get David. His jealousy had led to repeated attempts to have David killed, so David and his supporters were on the run. Even innocent people were killed during this time. Needless to say, it was getting heated. Saul was out of control. Then, there was David.

 

During this famous restroom break, King Saul chose the exact cave that David and his men were hiding to relieve himself (verse 3). After all that he had gone through, what could David do? At this point in David’s life, he was a warrior and military commander. David could have easily killed the unguarded king who had been unjustly threatening and pursuing him. Easily. It could even be justified as self-defense. That would have been the impulsive human thing to do, right? It would put an end to this outrageous run-and-hide situation for David and his men. In verse 4, David’s men certainly had this train of thought. 

 

The future king’s measured response in this passage shows the work of the Holy Spirit in this scene. The humans were ready for the quick kill, but David ordered them to stand down. David had more to offer. His restrained snip of the robe (verse 4) even made him feel shameful for dishonoring God’s anointed king. David says in verse 6, “The Lord forbid that I should do something like that to my master, the Lord’s anointed, or lift my hand against him, because he’s the Lord’s anointed.” Oh, David. During this season of his life, David showed so much respect for God. As much as I want to give David all the credit for being such an awesome role model, we need to acknowledge and recognize the Spirit’s work and presence in that cave. David’s faith and surrender to God was commendable, but David was just the vehicle for the Holy Spirit to showcase the fruit of self-control. 

 

Let us be grateful that the Holy Spirit is everywhere, in every situation we face. Self-control can be difficult and challenging for us mere mortals. But when we experience and witness these unnatural acts of self-control, it is a wink from the Holy Spirit. Thanks be to God.

 

Prayer:
Holy Spirit, You are always around, giving me those gentle nudges to do your work. Thank you for the gift of self-control. Your self-control. I need a lot of help in this area. Please equip me to recognize you in my life, allowing others to see your fruit. Amen.