Cave Danger

• How can you show respect to those in authority?

• What happens when you show disrespect to people in authority?

He came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, “This is the day the lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’“ Then David crept up unnoticed and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe … He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that i should do such a thing to my master, the Lord’S anointed, or lay my hand on him; for he is the anointed of the Lord.”
1 Samuel 24:3-4,6

King Saul, along with 3,000 of his men, was out looking for David in order to kill him. David was hiding in a cave — as God would have it, the same cave where King Saul decided to “relieve himself.”

Can you imagine hiding in a cave and having the murderous king stroll in for a bathroom break? Well, David’s friends urged David to kill Saul on the spot, but David didn’t. Instead, David snuck up on Saul and cut off a corner of his robe.

David then explained to his men that he would not kill the man whom God had made king. Even though Saul wanted David dead, David spared him because God had placed Saul in authority over David.

We don’t always like the people who are placed in authority over us. But we still need to recognize their authority and show them respect.

PRAYER
Dear God, please help us to show respect to those people you have placed in positions of authority. Amen.