Ever had a boss you couldn’t understand?
Ever had someone God placed as an authority in your life that you didn’t feel like they deserved your submission?
When I was in college I read a book entitled, A Tale of Three Kings, that spoke about this very kind of situation. I mention it because the passage of scripture that I am studying today brought me to 1 Samuel 19, which reminded me of A Tale of Three Kings.
It’s no wonder that the subtitle for A Tale of Three Kings is, “A Study in Brokeness.” In 1 Samuel 19 we see David willfully submitting to King Saul, who – at this point – was on the verge of acting like a madman. We also know that at this time, David knew fully well that he was anointed to be the next king after Saul, but he repeatedly did not seek to gain the throne on his own efforts.
I’ve read this passage, read A Tale of Three Kings, and am now re-reading this passage, but this story still breaks me. Why? Because there is a hard balancing act that is required of the follower of Christ to be strong in conviction and leadership, while at the same time being broken in humility.
My prayer?
“Lord help me to lead by Your Spirit with conviction and intention, but to equally and simultaneously serve with humility and brokeness – to follow you even when it doesn’t make sense. Because I know in the end your ways are higher than mine….amen.”