Was it God or man that stirred you up?

Hey love! How has your week been going? Thank you for taking the time out to nourish your spirit with our Wednesday Bible study. I want to ask you this: Have you ever had a situation where you felt disdain for someone or something for no particular reason or a reason so minuscule? Today we are studying a verse from 1 Samuel 26:19. In today’s verse, David essentially asks King Saul who stirred him up? So whether you are currently being stirred or have been, the question you should ponder is: Who stirred you up?

                                                                      Scripture

1 Samuel 26:19 NKJV:  Now therefore, please, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children, of men, may they be cursed before the Lord, for they have driven me out this day from sharing in the inheritance of the Lord, saying ‘God, serve other gods.’ 

                                                                    Lets Explore

Throughout 1 Samuel, Saul who was the elected King of Israel, began to have a hardened heart towards David who at a young age became anointed as King of Israel. After David killed Goliath, women sang and danced and said:

                                                  “Saul has slain his thousands,

                                                   and David his ten thousands.”

As ruler of the nation, Saul was not pleased by this chant, in fact his anger and resentment grew towards David. This anger became so great that Saul was on a quest to kill David [a man after God’s own heart]. This chant became widely known and sung any time David superseded Saul in some way. One could only imagine how inadequate Saul felt. It seems like this very song contributed to stirring Saul up against David. David on the other hand, honored Saul and held him to a high regard because he was God’s elected. He could not understand why Saul hated him so deeply, thus he ultimately asks him a pivotal question: “If the LORD has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children, of men, may they be cursed before the Lord…” David wanted better understanding on where Saul’s hatred was stemming from so there could be some resolution. It’s apparent that it was indeed the children of men that stirred Saul against David. Many people did not hold Saul to such high regard which caused him to envy David. At the same time, Saul should have been content with his portion and kept his eyes fixated on the Lord. If Saul were to keep seeking the The Lord with a pure heart, I believe He would have certainly made Saul’s path straight in conjunction to David’s accomplishments. This story in the Bible is an example of how man can stir you up and allow you to have a hardened heart towards others. It doesn’t always have to be envy towards someone else’s accomplishments, it could simply be how people perceive that person and how that perception may inadvertently target your own insecurities. Sometimes we have to have a heart check on ourselves in order to make sure we aren’t possessing feelings of jealousy and/or bitterness towards someone else’s achievements. Additionally, do not give man the power to instigate a situation where you are stirred up. It’s easy to allow those negative emotions to hold you captive and deter from what God has planned for you.

Reflection

• Based on today’s study, can you recall a time where man stirred you up against someone or something? 
• Did you ever change your mind towards that person or situation? If so, what made you change your mind?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, we thank you for this community. God we also would like to thank you for Your grace. In this world, we may come across people that erroneously stirs us up and Lord the last thing we want to do is be in error with you. Lord I pray for peace and clarity in our hearts. I pray that you cleanse our mind, body, and spirit and allow our thoughts to be in alignment with Yours. Lord we do not want to grow in bitterness where it deters us from Your will over our lives. Please forgive us when we decide to listen to man rather than you. Thank you for allowing us to be a part of Your Kingdom. You are worthy of being praised.

In Jesus Name, we pray Amen. 

With Love,

Allison