This morning, I am teaching kids about one of the times David spared King Saul’s life in 1 Samuel 24. At the moment, David had the perfect opportunity to do away with the king. And if he followed Saul’s example, David would have done just that.
King Saul was pursuing David. Saul’s anger caused him to abandon the work of governing and pursue his young rival. He wasted time and only became more obsessed with killing David. It reminds me of a quote by Mark Twain.
“Anger is an acid that can do more harm to the vessel in which it is stored than to anything on which it is poured.”
Mark Twain Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/mark_twain_120156, accessed January 16, 2022.
Mark Twain
Saul did not meet his doom in this story. But he eventually did in a war. The story could have been so much different if he didn’t forget his duties and try to kill David. Saul may have been prepared for his final battle. Instead, he focused on a little threat while a much larger one was brewing.
On the other hand, David did the right thing. As a result, he became king without killing his rival. His people considered his reign legitimate because of the way he treated Saul. David showed that refraining from anger is a much better course.
Anger makes us bitter and stupid. We can’t think straight if we don’t manage it. It causes us to do and say things we will later regret. What’s more, it can make us lose focus on more important matters.
“Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
Psalm 37:8 (NIV)
do not fret—it leads only to evil.”
Let’s be careful about what makes us angry. It can lead to a lot of stupid, evil things.
One of the challenges of being away from children’s ministry for several weeks is missing the quirky things like flannelgraphs. This cartoon reminds me of the many Bible stories I heard as a child and the little paper illustrations that the teacher would place on the board as she told the story. As a visual person, those flannelgraph illustrations probably had as much of an impression on me as the story itself.
I remember wanting to be part of the story. So this cartoon was a natural one for me to come up with. Like the boy on the flannelgraph wall, I would have loved to be in the middle of Jesus, the disciples, a loaf of bread and a fish.
To all the parents and teachers that are trying to keep the kids entertained and educated, It may be the simple things like a flannelgraph that will keep a kid’s attention over the latest, wifi-powered technology.
At least once in our lives, we are running away from something. Jonah was the classic example of someone who knew better. When he ran away from his calling, things went from bad to worse.
This is one of the Bible stories that has caught the attention of people for years. Today, avoidance is hardly an effective technique!
That first Christmas was not a safe Christmas. A stable would have been a nightmare for a first time, germaphobe mother. A manger was not a safe alternative to a crib. Who knows what critters were scurrying around at night?
Maybe Christmas is not supposed to be safe. Most amazing events never are. There’s some risk involved. That said, safety recalls are still a good idea!
I drew this cartoon for Church of God Ministries, Anderson, Indiana
