And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the Wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.”
1 Samuel 23:14

Saul and David had a tumultuous relationship, to say the least. Saul became jealous and lived in constant fear and insecurity. David suffered at the hand of Saul because of this jealousy. There are at least nine Psalms that were written during this time, where we hear David’s heart being poured out to his God. Psalm 59:1 parallels with 1 Samuel 19; Psalms 56 and 34 with 1 Samuel 21:10–15; Psalm 142 with 1 Samuel 22:1–3; Psalm 63 with 1 Samuel 22:5; Psalm 52 with 1 Samuel 22:9–19; Psalm 54 with 1 Samuel 23:19–29; Psalm 57 with 1 Samuel 24:1–22; and Psalm 7 with 1 Samuel 24:9–12.

Saul is a vivid picture of what a man in the flesh looks like—self-serving and self-centered. David, on the other hand, was a man after God’s own heart. We read in Acts 13:22 that God removed Saul and “raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.’” While Saul was relentless in his pursuit of David, our verse says, “But God did not deliver him into his hand.”God would not allow Saul to thwart His purposes for David.

Saul repeatedly turned up the heat against David, but God’s eye was on David, and His hand was on the thermostat! The Lord allowed David to pass through fiery trials, which ultimately molded him into the man of God he became. Peter tells us, “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ” (1 Pet. 1:6–7). James instructs us to “count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:2–5).

Anchor For Today:
Remember that our God is ever watching and in control of our lives. He simply wants us to trust Him and not lean on our own understanding!