FRIENDSHIP 4 - Envy can destroy a friendship.

Friendship 4 - English file 

Freundschaft 4 - German file

Devotional Thoughts about 1 Samuel 18:6-16

When the women of Israel began comparing Saul unfavorably with David, it seemed to flip a panic switch in the king that stayed on for the rest of his life. He became obsessed with David (18:9), deter­mining to remove this threat to himself, his family and his kingdom. Sometimes he tried spearing David himself in the heat of his rage; at other times he ordered his servants and soldiers to eliminate him, all without success.

Samuel had already told Saul that God had taken the kingdom from him and given it to a neighbor (15:27). At this point it was surely clear to him who that was, but he still kept fighting against it with all his resources. Knowing that God was with David and not with himself plunged him deeper and deeper into fear and his futile mission.

We’re not kings with kingdoms at stake, but when certain goals seem impos­sible to us, we often look for someone besides ourselves to blame. But the envious person is almost always worse off than the envied one.

David had a lot to lose, and not only from Saul. At one low point in his exile, his valued friends  turned against him, threatening to stone him (30:6). But David looked to the Lord for encouragement.

Lord, help me come to You with all my worries, whether I’ve become a target for others or am tempted to envy others. 

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