1 Samuel 26:23 “The LORD rewards every man for his righteousness and faithfulness. The LORD delivered you into my hands today, but I would not lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed.”

David’s behavior said clearly that he feared God more than he feared Saul, and that’s of vital importance. He could easily have killed Saul, but as he says here, he chose to trust God. From our perspective we can see that by doing so he made it far easier to unify the 12 tribes into one nation after he became king, because he didn’t have major difficulties with those who were still loyal to Saul. However, it’s doubtful that he thought that far into the future when he spared Saul’s life. We would all do much better in life if we feared God, just as the Bible says so famously, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Proverbs 9:10) We tend to disassociate fear with love, perhaps because of 1 John 4:18 that says that there is no fear in love, but I think we fail to understand both fear and love. The fear of the Lord is an understanding that He is absolutely powerful and absolutely holy, and we are neither. It’s kind of like the political philosophy of “peace through strength.” If a nation’s enemies don’t have a healthy respect for its military, they will have impunity in doing whatever they like. Many people today frankly don’t respect God. They spit in His face more ways than I could, or would want to, list here, and their lives show the results. It is indeed far wiser to recognize that God is a whole lot smarter than we are, and that He really does desire what is best for us. That’s where the love comes in. When we recognize that everything God does, even judgment, comes from love, then we love Him in return, and genuinely desire to do what pleases Him. That’s what David was doing here, and God indeed rewarded him for it.

A little more fear of the Lord would doubtless have been helpful to me through most of my life! Loving God was never an issue, but I didn’t always seek His way over what the world and my flesh were urging me to do. As a pastor, I am surrounded with examples of the consequences of failing to fear the Lord properly. I’ve never been a “hellfire and brimstone” preacher, and I don’t really think that’s helpful, but I do need to help people grasp the reality that there are consequences to our choices, and failing to fear God is like driving 90 in a 30 zone: we might get away with it briefly, but physics will catch up with us before the police do! That’s why in teaching on parenting I stress the importance of consistent consequences for misbehavior. I’ve seen in my own children and grandchildren that such consistency makes for much happier and fulfilled children! However, my biggest headache is with adults who don’t fear God, even when they don’t realize that’s their problem. I need God’s wisdom and anointing to deal with it, because it’s for certain I can’t do it on my own.

Father, only You could possibly keep it all straight, so that’s why I turn to You. I ask You to guard my heart and mind that I may fear You rightly and love You with all that I am, so that I may then express Your love and holiness accurately to those around me, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!