Are you constantly speaking life, peace, and help to the hurting? Do you seek to go out of your way to bless, intercede, and deliver people who are under spiritual attack? Or are you more about nailing people to the wall, driving your point home, and tearing people down? Do you look for the opportunity in a conversation to get your subtle slurs in?
The Bible has so much to say to the significance of our words; In the tongue is the power of life and death, In the tongue is the power to bless and curse, the lips of the righteous nourish many, etc. But what disgusts me in this story isn’t only that Saul chose the spear, but that so often, so do I. The reason I do is the same reason Saul did – I am insecure. I’ve had to ask myself, “Am I like Saul? Insecure? Am I plagued with jealousy? Do I believe God can’t handle this situation? Do I just want to be in control, on the throne (or on the stage)?” And my honest answers broke my heart.
If I was honest, I’d have to say that I was hoping to cut somebody else down a little bit so I might be lifted up a little bit. Sounds so stupid doesn’t it? (Sin always does, after the fact.)
It’s always the insecure, ineffective, in-the-flesh leaders who will throw spears. You’ve seen it in people, and you may have seen it in yourself; jealousy is an insidious tenant of the heart. If you find yourself throwing spears, constantly using sharp words, always having to make your point and drive it home, ask the Lord to search you and reveal what’s really going on-inside you. Truth is you’re probably revealing more about yourself than the person you’re slandering.
So what do we do? How do we come against it? Look what David did-he ducked and never mentioned it. It happened again, so David ducked, again. And he got out of there.
Saul is insecure and carnal; David is anointed and walking in the fear of God. And David never threw one spear back. Seems if anyone could’ve really proven successful with a spear, David would’ve been a prime candidate. But David wouldn’t dare; in fact, it broke David’s heart to even cut the hem of Saul’s garment. Such was the respect of David for the anointing of Saul that he said, “Far be it from me to lay my hand on God’s anointed.” (1 Samuel 24:6)
