David's Alabaster Jar Breaking Love

It’s one thing to withhold speaking evil of someone who has hurt us, and quite another to speak well of them. But that’s what David did regarding Saul. In 2 Samuel 1, we read his beautifully written lament, grieving the loss of King Saul and honoring him and Jonathan before the people of Judah. David’s relationship with the Lord cultivated in him a mindset that reflected the very heart of the Father, who pours out blessings on both the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

When King Saul was killed in battle and word reached David, he and all his leaders tore their clothes, grieved, wept, and fasted (2 Samuel 1:12). He executed the Amalekite who brought news of Saul’s death after he boasted that he had struck Saul with the blow that ended his life. In anger, David asked, “Why weren’t you afraid to lift your hand to destroy the Lord’s anointed?” (2 Samuel 1:14). His commitment was to Saul’s position as the King of Israel—the one commissioned to rule by the God of Israel and the nations.

While such honor was a natural response to their king’s tragic death, David moved beyond this expectation by lavishly blessing the man who had mercilessly hunted him down like a dog for over seven years (1 Samuel 24:14). He wrote a lament honoring Saul and Jonathan, commanding the people of Judah to learn and recite it like a funeral song (1 Samuel 1:18). Shockingly absent in his poem is any mention of Saul’s harmful actions or the evil he committed against God and David. Instead, David publicly honored him, calling for the “daughters of Israel to weep” for him (v. 24). He used rich metaphors— comparing Saul to a gazelle, declaring he was faster than an eagle and stronger than a lion (v. 23). He refers to both Saul and Jonathan as “mighty…in battle” (v. 25), proclaiming that they were both loved and admired.

How is this kind of love possible?

If you’re anything like me, you’re left scratching your head, wondering how on earth he did this. And, if we’re anything alike, you’re also left with a knot in your throat for all the times you’ve stopped short of such a blessing. But this is the norm for the Christian life, as exemplified by David’s attitudes and actions and seen perfectly in the life of the greater David, Jesus. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about this radical requirement of enemy love, warning us: “If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matthew 5:46–47). Instead, He calls for a love beyond human capability that only the Spirit of God can work in us as we abide in Christ. This results in what my husband refers to as the LDBP principle, taken from Luke 6, one of the two versions of the Sermon on the Mount. Here, we’re commanded to love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us and pray for those who mistreat us (Luke 6:27-28).

David’s lament, known as the “Song of the Bow,” testifies to the Spirit’s transforming work in his life and his submission to the will and Word of God. He understood the Father’s undeserved mercy and grace which he had received, enabling him to pour it out—rather than sprinkle it—on his greatest enemy. David trusted in the sovereign Lord for vindication, which freed him to show alabaster-jar breaking love and abundant mercy to someone who hated him without cause. Like the "sinner" who broke a costly alabaster jar of perfume to pour on Jesus’ head and feet, so David, her forefather in the faith, did the same with his words of blessing to his worst enemy.

I’m challenged today to yield my hurts to the Lord and remember His incredible love for me at the cross, where He forgave my darkest and most egregious sins and then spoke blessings over my life. I’m asking the Lord to help me continue refraining from angry thoughts and slander and to provide me with opportunities to show even greater love -- to speak truthful, kind blessings about my enemies whenever I get the chance. Praying that He will do the same for you through his transforming grace and mercy. 

Finding Strength in the Lord My God

As I’ve been reading a book on spiritual warfare and standing firm in the faith, I’ve been simultaneously studying 1 Samuel. Together, they have opened a window for me to see more clearly the nature of the spiritual battle, as I’ve witnessed firsthand how David learned to stand and fight in the strength of the Lord rather than in the arm of the flesh. Instead of leading him to depression or despair, the ongoing opposition led him to greater dependence on the Lord through prayer, which resulted in a humble willingness to listen and obey, and a greater ability to love and show others mercy.

Hard Pressed on Every Side

When the apostle Paul wrote 2 Corinthians 4:8–12 under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he was describing the intense difficulties he and the other apostles were experiencing because of the Gospel. The same enemy of their souls was seeking to destroy David’s life with the same intensity 1,000 years earlier, revealing the timeless application of these truths. For seven years after being anointed king by Samuel, David was mercilessly hunted down by Saul and forced into hiding in caves and remote cities like an outlaw. During this time, he had many near-death experiences and was even rejected by his own men (1 Samuel 30:6). Like Paul, he was hard-pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down—but not crushed or in despair, never abandoned, and not destroyed.

In 1 Samuel 30, after he and his army were sent away from fighting alongside the Philistines (because the commanders feared he might turn on them in the battle), David returned to Ziklag only to find even more trouble. The Amalekites had attacked and burned the city and taken everyone captive. David and his men were so distraught that they “wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep” (30:4). The men were so embittered by their losses that they even talked about stoning David.

Looking to the Lord for Help

In what seems to be a plot twist, David turned from focusing on the losses and threats against his life to focusing on the Lord. Rather than becoming bitter or seeking revenge, the Bible says, “David found strength in the Lord his God” (1 Samuel 30:6). This echoes the words of Psalm 28, where he declared that “the Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7). David’s response reveals a humble heart that accepted the reality of the ongoing battle. But instead of trying to control or escape it in his own strength and wisdom, he looked to the Lord and found shelter in his presence.

The very tool the enemy was using to drive David despair, God designed to help him flourish in his faith (Psalm 119:71). These hardships, rather than turning him away from trust, drove him into the very presence of the only One who could both protect him and deliver him from evil—so much so that he could say with confidence, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

This position of trusting dependence led him to earnestly pray and seek the Lord’s wisdom. He asked whether he should pursue the enemies who had plundered them (30:7), and the Lord answered clearly: “Pursue them… You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue” (1 Samuel 30:8). David’s reliance on God led to practical direction and wisdom, which he acted on. He trusted God's Word and obeyed it, believing God would keep His promise to help him. After defeating the enemy and recovering everything that had been taken, just as God said, David then chose to show mercy to the 200 men who had been too exhausted to fight in the battle, while others in the army demanded they receive nothing, David’s decision to set his gaze and his hope on the Lord had transformed his life, making him a conduit of the same supernatural love and grace he had received.

As I reflect on the spiritual battles I’ve faced over the years, I realize that my focus has too often been on the problems and opposition instead of the Lord and His promise to shield and protect me. By shifting my gaze back to Him—and away from the enemy’s distractions and disappointments—I hope to find renewed strength to persevere with hope, along with a quieted heart to rest in the Lord’s presence, hear his instruction and follow in his peace — pouring out the same mercy and grace to others that I’ve received. What about you? Is the enemy distracting your gaze and keeping you from looking to and trusting in the Lord? If so, today is the perfect time to turn back to Him in trust!

“The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him” Psalm 28:7

Trusting in the Unchanging God

In a world where everything is shifting, it’s been incredibly comforting to remember each day that God is unchanging. He’s the same today as He’s been for eternity. As He declares concerning His eternal nature, “I the LORD do not change” (Malachi 3:6). Since His rock‑solid, unchanging character is a Gospel essential and a necessary foundation for our faith to flourish, it’s no surprise that the enemy of our souls seeks to undermine and destroy this truth—so that we shift our gaze and steady stand from the Rock to the sinking sand of trusting in ourselves, others, and the wisdom of the world. But Scripture teaches that “the way that seems right to a man leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12), and as Jeremiah declares, trusting in anyone or anything besides God leads to a desert wasteland (Jeremiah 17:6).

Is God really who He says He is?

This is the oldest lie in the Bible, uttered by the Serpent in the garden as He tempted Adam and Eve to doubt God’s absolute goodness and sovereign rule (Genesis 3:1). At the core of His deception was the lie that God is not who He says He is and cannot be trusted. The enemy speaks the same lies today—trying to get us to move from resting in the goodness and character of God.

One of the greatest temptations I’ve faced over 37 years as a Christian has been to doubt God’s eternal, unchanging nature as the God who is not only able to do all things, but the One who “acts on behalf of those who wait for Him” (Isaiah 64:4). This temptation first surfaced when I quit my job to attend seminary in my early 20s. I knew the Lord was leading me to pursue theological education, but at the time I only had enough money for the first classes and a part‑time job to support me for the next four years. The constraints of my salary left me with almost no money after paying my tithe, bills, and tuition—but I was convinced this was God’s plan. At times, lies would break through, telling me that God would not or could not provide, that I would never make it and that I was going to be destitute. 

Over three decades later, I can testify that those five years (it took longer than I’d hoped), rather than leaving me destitute, shaped me more than any other life experience. Through daily dependence on the Lord and studying His Word I learned to trust that He is who He says He is and can and will do everything He promises. I learned to trust God for manna, which would be necessary in other seasons of life, to find my hope in God alone, and to rest in His unwavering promise to provide (Philippians 4:19).

Can God really provide?

The enemy stepped up His strategy to discourage and destroy my faith during the same time with another temptation—to doubt God’s unchanging power. He whispered through my own thoughts, the careless words of others, and the lies of the culture that I would never get married. As a woman in her late 20s living in the South, not being married was a travesty, and I was marked as one who must have somehow missed the kindness and grace of God. I remember one day running into a friend from college in a store who, upon learning I wasn’t married, asked bluntly, “What’s wrong with you?”

The fiery dart of her words pierced my heart, and I began praying to God in fear with complaints, asking why He didn’t, wouldn’t, or couldn’t bring me a husband. All that I’d learned about the sovereignty of God went out the window as I traded this truth for man‑made wisdom which said I needed to figure this out on my own. The more I focused on these fears and doubts, the less I trusted God and the more I despaired. Some advised me to look for a husband, to put myself out there, to lower the bar—after all, it wasn’t that desirable to be so spiritual, they argued. Like Job’s counselors, they echoed the Serpent’s lie, seeking to cast a slur on God’s character, unchanging nature and power. Their message could be summed up with this declaration: “You cannot trust or rely on God alone for this. He’s God, but not that powerful. You’ve got to look to yourself, others, and the wisdom of the world to get what you want.”

Thanks to the kindness and mercy of the Lord, He shone the spotlight on the lies I was believing (Psalm 23:3). He gave me wisdom to discern the enemy’s strategy to undermine my faith and get me to turn away from trusting God (Proverbs 2:6). After realizing this, I resolved before the Lord to stake all my hope in Him alone and reject every other plan that would lead me away from trusting in the living Lord (Psalm 62:5). I quit accepting offers to go out on dates and stopped trying to figure out how I could find a husband. Instead, I focused on my studies, work, and time with other believers—and gave a firm reply to anyone who asked how I expected to get married: “If God wants me to get married, He will have to drop my husband on my doorstep.” Most laughed or smirked—but amazingly, no one ever said another word. For once, the enemy seemed silent.

After settling into this rhythm, God began to restore my hope, joy and peace (Romans 15:13). When I returned from a trip to Israel with my grandmother in the middle of the school year, I discovered that a man had mysteriously joined our class. We became friends and began spending time after class talking. Surprisingly, one Sunday afternoon, I heard a knock at the door. I opened it to find standing on my doorstep the answer to years of prayer—this man of faith, who was full of the Holy Spirit and who had firmly determined to trust in the same unchanging, all‑powerful God I was trusting. A year and a half later, we were married.

Had I listened to the lies of the enemy and those who sought to discredit God’s character and power, I would have missed this blessing: The Lord miraculously brought my husband across the world to pursue PhD studies—from South Africa to Mississippi—and dropped him on the doorstep of my seminary class and of my home—just as I had prayed.

Standing Firm Against the Lies

Since that time, hundreds, if not thousands, of voices have tried to pull me away from believing that God can do all things and that nothing is impossible for Him (Luke 1:37). I was told we’d never make it on the mission field with middle‑school aged daughters, that a ministry salary wouldn’t meet our expenses, that I’d never be healed of depression or sickness, and that God would never give me the job I prayed for. Their advice always urged me to shrink back in fear—shifting my trust from Christ to self, others, or worldly wisdom.

Like the Serpent in the Garden, their strategy wasn’t designed to help me—but to draw me away from pure devotion to God—the same God who spoke the world into creation, parted the Red Sea, made covenants with His people, and sent His Son to do the unimaginable—offering His life on the cross to atone for our sins so we could be reconciled to God and gain eternal life.

If God did not withhold His one and only Son, as the apostle Paul writes, “but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32). Moving from the greater to the lesser, we can be absolutely, utterly confident that our loving Father “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20). He is the same God, and we can fully trust Him to fulfill every promise and provide for our every need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). 

When the enemy whispers that He cannot be trusted, that His power is insufficient, or that His kindness won’t extend to us, we can stand firmly on the unshakable truth of His Word, and with confidence declare: “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him” (1 Timothy 1:12). And with these words, we can also echo the Lord’s command: “Get behind Me, Satan” (Matthew 16:23).

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