I Samuel 26:21 And the Ziphites came unto Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?
Do You Do What You Say?
I think that most of us prefer to buy from a friend, especially when buying something sight unseen or perhaps online. This is because we trust that they will do right by us. I wonder how many of us would prefer to sell to a stranger, and if so, why? Isn’t it interesting that we prefer to buy from a friend and sell to a stranger? There might be some logical reason for that, but the reason should not be that we intend in any way to be dishonest. The story in I Samuel 26 reminds us that what we say and what we do should be consistent one with another. We should be trustworthy.
In I Samuel 26, the Bible tells us the story of David and Saul. Saul had pursued David until David had him trapped. For the second time in a row, David spared Saul’s life when he could have killed him. When it was all said and done, the Bible tells us that Saul said, “I have sinned: return my son David: for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day: behold, I have played the fool, and have erred exceedingly.”
Twice, Saul pursued David. Twice, David could have killed Saul. Twice, David spared Saul’s life, and twice, Saul had good things to say to David when it was all over. After all this, what had Saul learned? The answer is “nothing.” What did David learn from this? Well, listen to the words of I Samuel 24:22 after the first occasion when David could have killed Saul. Saul says some very good things to David. And Saul went home; but David and his men gat them up into the hold.” David had learned not to trust Saul.
In I Samuel 27, right after Saul had said good things to David, the Bible says, “And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape in to the land of the Philistines.”
Now, I believe David did the wrong thing by going to Philistia. But what David was doing was watching a man, not merely listening to a man. Twice, Saul said good things, and twice, Saul went back again to pursue David. People trust what we say when it matches what we do. If I misuse authority, people mistrust me, and maybe even God by extension. If I am selfish, insecure, or overbearing in my actions, people are not likely to trust me.
Are you trustworthy? If you are, it’s because what you say and what you do match up.