Envy

# 265 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 18:26-30, “So when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to become the king's son-in-law. Now the days had not expired; 27 therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and killed two hundred men of the Philistines. And David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full count to the king, that he might become the king's son-in-law. Then Saul gave him Michal his daughter as a wife. 28 Thus Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him; 29 and Saul was still more afraid of David. So Saul became David's enemy continually. 30 Then the princes of the Philistines went out to war. And so it was, whenever they went out, that David behaved more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name became highly esteemed. (1 Sam 18:26-30) We have said this before, David was a man of war and this new demand of Saul's for his daughter's hand in marriage pleased him. David didn't know so much about wealth, but he knew war. This was right up his alley and as a sign of his pleasure in being given the kings daughter in marriage, David comes back in the allotted amount of time that Saul had given him to finish the task with 200 foreskins rather than the asking price of 100. Saul had hoped David would be killed in the battle, but instead he comes back with even more than the king had asked for. It was clear that God was on David's side and this caused great fear in Saul. Since David was to be married to Michal, he sees David as an even bigger threat to his throne. Don't miss the word “continually” here. Saul was obsessed with David as a threat and an enemy. He could see him through no other lens. It consumed him. So much more of the Book of Samuel is caught up with Saul's attempts to do him in. It dominated everything he did. Any jealousy in your life? Be careful. The Bible says, Pr 14:30 A sound heart is life to the body, But envy is rottenness to the bones. The sound heart is a placid heart, it doesn't get riled up by jealousy, and the word rottenness here means eaten by worms. Which one sounds like the better deal? Father, guard my heart against envy.