Twice, it seemed, that the Lord had set it up for David to kill Saul. Both stories are intriguing. 1 Samuel 24:2 says that Saul had 3,000 men. Verse 3 says that Saul, “…came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recess of the cave.)”

David’s men felt that it was a perfect set up. They urged David to kill Saul. David secretly cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. Verse 5 says, “Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe.”

Listen to David’s honor of God’s word. Verse 6 says, “…The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.”

Watch this next time. Saul was asleep and his men were asleep around him. 1 Samuel 26:12 says, “…For they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen on them.” David and Abishai crept up to them unnoticed. In verse 8 Abishai said to David, “..God has delivered your enemy into your hand…”

In verse 9 David told Abishai to not strike the king, “…Do not destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against the Lord’s anointed, and be guiltless?” David instructed Abishai to take the spear and jug of water.

David was honoring God’s word by obeying it. Psalm 105:15 says, “…Do not touch My anointed ones, and do My prophets no harm.” David understood that God had given him the kingdom, but it would be in God’s impeccable timing. 1 Samuel 26:10 says, “…As the Lord lives, the Lord shall strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go out to battle and perish.” David’s words were prophetic.

What about us? Do we have the honor of obedience? I’m working on memorizing the first 15 verses in Psalm 119. I’m stumbling over some of the words. Verse 13 says, “With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth.” Have you? I haven’t. All means no exception.

Our obedience is an outward show of a heart that honors the Lord above all else. Psalm 119:2 says, “Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with the whole heart.” John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me…”

John 5:19 says that the Son can do nothing of Himself. Verse 20 says, “For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself does…” John 3:35 says, “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.” 

Philippians 2:8 says of Jesus, “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” The Father’s love for the Son, and the Son’s love for the Father is not within our ability to comprehend now.

When we truly grasp how much the Lord loves us, our natural heart’s response is obedience. We honor Him through our wholeheartedness. We obey His word because He first loved us. All we have to give Him is our heart. Psalm 119:10 says, “With my whole heart I have sought You; oh, let me not wander from Your commandments.”

Psalm 138:2 says, “I will worship toward Your holy temple, and praise Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth; for You have magnified Your word above Your name.” We magnify the Lord when we obey His word from a heart of love.