I Samuel 18:17
‘Then Saul said to David, “Here is my older daughter Merab; I will give her to you as a wife, only be a valiant man for me and fight the LORD’S battles.” For Saul thought, “My hand shall not be against him, but let the hand of the Philistines be against him.”’
Saul appeared to be doing a good thing, however he had an evil motive. These are to be rooted out. It’s like weeding a yard. We go through the lawn and pull out the weeds. Pure grass has a better look.
The second commandment of Jesus is to love your neighbor as yourself. To harbor evil motives is not loving. We are to confess to God and ask for help in removing those. He will help. They don’t disappear in a moment, but in time, they lessen.
We can have evil intentions and be unaware. Psalm 139:23,24 says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there is any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.” This is one of the many amazing aspects of the Holy Spirit. We can pray this prayer and He’ll help, but He works on these things without our knowledge. He’s like a craftsman ever refining a product.
On a similar track, we may not be sinning, but curious about our hearts and it’s reactions. We’ve all got a lifetime of experiences that contribute to who we are. “Why do I respond with so much anger or anxiety?” It is rarely obvious. Prayer, counseling and time help in finding those answers. Proverbs 20:5, “A plan in the heart of a person is like deep water, But a person of understanding draws it out.” God wants us to be people of understanding.
David was on the receiving end of the evil motive. How do we handle that? It depends. If it’s a friend, we can bring it up. We can ask, “Is everything ok?” There are other circumstances in which we can address it. There are times in which we have to live with it. We pray and ask the Lord to protect us from bitterness and harm.
It’s frustrating to have to live with it. The person may be a superior at work. They may be in a position of power. Unless we are willing to leave, we have to live with it. God will help us. He can even prosper us. Look at Jacob and Laban. Genesis 31:7 says, “Yet your father has cheated me and changed my wages ten times; however, God did not allow him to do me harm.” At first Jacob must have been frustrated out of his mind. Then he saw that God was for him. At some point he gained faith. I could picture him lying in bed thinking, “No matter what Laban does, God turns it around.”
God wants us to have such confidence. We are to rest in all our situations. A gyroscope can keep a boat stable on rocky seas. So our hearts are to be at rest while life’s circumstances heave and ho. Isaiah 26:3 says, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.”
This is the abundant life Jesus talks about in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.” Those with the evil motives are like the devil. They are against us and mean us harm. I can look back at situations and can recall those who were working against me. God stepped in and took away their advantage. It was stressful until that happened. It took at least a year until that happened. I worried greatly. I should have been trusting. I have been rescued, so I know He can do it again.
He wants us to praise Him in the storm. We don’t have to wait until the calm. Faith praises during the trial. He will keep us in perfect peace.
Lord, thank You for being there as our protector. What a blessing. Thank You God. We don’t have to worry. We can have our joy and peace all the time.