I Samuel 18:5 And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely: and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people, and also in the sight of Saul’s servants.
Behave Yourself Wisely
Behave yourself! Isn’t that something you have told your kids or something you were told as a child? Usually, when we think about the need to behave, we think about youngsters; we do not think about self. Yet, you and I need the grace of God to behave ourselves wisely. That is exactly what David did, and he did so under very intense and diverse circumstances.
I Samuel 18:1 says, “The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.” Jonathan’s love of David was probably only equaled by Saul’s hatred of David. David was loved by many, and it takes wisdom to behave yourself wisely when everyone loves you.
David was praised. Verse 7 says that when Saul and David returned from battle, the women said, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” This brought great envy into Saul’s heart. Did it bring any pride into David’s heart? The Bible tells us that we are tested by the praise of people. Sometimes we are tested more by praise than by problems.
David was “eyed.” Verse 9 says, “And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.” Saul viewed him with suspicion and malice. In verses 10 and following the Bible tells us that Saul tried to kill David with a javelin. David was attacked and envied.
David was also feared. The Bible says that Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him and had departed from Saul.
David was alienated. Verse 13 says, “Therefore Saul removed him from him.” Saul tried to put David in a position where David would be harmed. Instead, God gave David grace and great victories, and the significance of his name only increased.
David was schemed against. In verses 20-21 it says that Saul’s daughter loved David. Saul said, “I will give him her, that she may be a snare to him.” Saul tried to us his daughter as a trap. He hoped that David would get himself killed trying to win her.
So here is David, loved, praised, eyed, envied, alienated, feared, and schemed against, but the Bible says that David “behaved himself wisely.” Behaving himself wisely looked an awful lot like humility.
David behaved himself wisely by acting in humility and under authority. No position you occupy can compensate for the absence of God and His presence. Here is Saul, the king of Israel, but abandoned by God. In contrast, no banishment will suppress the man in whom God is working.
Saul tried in every way to get rid of David, but it was to no avail because David was a man in whom God was working. God was working in David because David behaved himself wisely. Every day we need the grace that only God can give in order to behave wisely.