God molds our hearts just as He molded David's heart

King Saul, who had set up camp on the road to Hachilah Hill,

opposite the desert of Judah, leading 3,000 elite troops to search for David

as the Ziphites had informed him, was sleeping in his camp

along with his military commander, Abner, and his men

who were also dozing around him.

At that time, David knew Saul had arrived

and sent out scouts to keep an eye on his movements.

That night, David secretly approached Saul's camp and looked around.

David, accompanied by Abishai, saw King Saul sleeping.

Abishai whispered to David,

"Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands.

Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of my spear;

I won't need to strike him twice."

But David replied, "Don't destroy him.

Who can lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed and be guiltless?

As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD himself will strike him,

or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish.

But the LORD forbid that I should lay a hand on the LORD’s anointed."

He emphasized that it was forbidden by God to harm the anointed one

(1 Samuel 26:1-11).

Interestingly, in 1 Samuel 24, when King Saul,

who had come with 3,000 elite troops to the Rocks of the Wild Goats

to seek David, was nearly killed by David,

David refrained from harming Saul, saying

that it was forbidden by God to strike the LORD’s anointed.

However, in 1 Samuel 25, David, despite being restrained by God

from taking revenge on the foolish Nabal, who repaid David’s good with evil,

was about to kill Nabal himself.

God prevented this by sending Nabal’s wise wife, Abigail.

Then, in 1 Samuel 26, when King Saul came again with 3,000 elite troops

to find David, David found Saul sleeping in his camp.

Though David had another opportunity to kill Saul,

he refrained, telling Abishai that he was certain

"the LORD Himself will strike Saul"

and refusing to commit the sin of harming the LORD’s anointed.

Reflecting on this, it seems that from 1 Samuel 24 to 26,

God was shaping David’s heart, not only preventing him

from committing the sin of doing what God had forbidden

but also assuring him that God would judge

between him and King Saul and avenge him (24:12).

This is why David said to Abishai,

"As surely as the LORD lives, the LORD Himself will strike him;

either his time will come and he will die,

or he will go into battle and perish" (26:10).

Just as God shaped David's heart,

we pray that He will shape our hearts as well,

progressively preventing us from committing sins

by doing what He has forbidden

and also giving us the assurance that He will avenge us.