Praise Makes the Difference

Saul did some really stupid stuff, and as a result, lost God's blessing and the kingdom. A little while later, Samuel anointed David as the next king. After all this went down, a darkness started plaguing Saul. It was so awful, that his servants suggested that they find, "a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well." (1 Samuel 16:16b) By God's hand, David was that man. "And whenever the harmful spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand. So Soul was refreshed and was well, and the harmful spirit departed from him." (1 Samuel 16:23)

He liked him...the boy. He did. He was strong, courageous, charming. A man of valor. A man of God. There was no reason for him not to like this boy.

But he didn't. Not anymore.

Nevertheless, he needed the kid. Things had changed between him and the Lord. Tension as thick as a horse's hide. The spirit was tormenting him. Worse. Reminding him that he was in the darkness. However, when David played, the darkness didn't suffocate him. He felt a small part of his soul calling out to him, reaching for him, begging him to come back.

David looked up from the lyre and smiled. He looked so peaceful, so free. Saul frowned. When was the last time he had felt free? When was the last time one of the Lord's melodies had come to him? Now the great king had to rely on a former shepherd to give him faint glimpses of his former glory. David the musician. David the Philistine slayer. David, the Lord's chosen one. He hated him, and all he represented!

With a snarl, Saul jumped up from his chair. The melodies died out. "Go on," He barked. "Keep playing." The strumming started again as Saul paced back and forth. His heart was racing. He needed to stop, to listen to the music, to spend time with God, but he ignored the urging in his heart. He stalked to the other side of the room, where a rack of spears awaited. Gently, he reached out and touched one. Kill David. It was the darkness, but for once, the darkness made a lot of sense. It would be so easy. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw David's head bowed, eyes closed, hands focused on making music to God. Kill David. He wrapped his hand around the spear and spun, using his momentum to hurl the spear towards David, and kill all of his problems.

This story was loosely based on 1 Samuel 18:6-11

David has always been known a worshiper of God. With his lyre, songs, and dance, David always gave Him praise. When Saul first called upon David's playing, the music helped him. But the more Saul strayed, the less the the music helped.

"It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre." Psalm 92:1-3

"The stupid man cannot know; the fool cannot understand this: that though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever;" Psalm 92:6-7

David was the one giving God praise, morning and night. Saul ended up the one who could not understand. He was the stupid man, the fool, and ended up in destruction.

My point is: are we giving praise to God, singing and making melodies in our hearts to Him? Are we letting His joy sustain us? Are we in His presence? You don't want to wander. You don't want to start relying on your own might. That leads to darkness, destruction, and worse of all, separation from God. In 1 Samuel 16:14 it says that the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul. I don't even want to imagine what that's really like for someone. How awful, bleak, and empty! I really believe that David's one-on-one time, praising God is what made the difference. Because he understood. He knew Who was first. He knew it was good to give God praise. So he did. And so should we.