The Troubled Heart

"Now it happened afterward that David's heart troubled him because he had cut Saul's robe."

 1 Samuel 24:5

Observe the tenderness evident in the man after God's own heart!  When King Saul persecuted and pursued David, seeking to kill him, David was presented with an opportunity to kill Saul.  Men loyal to David goaded him on, telling him that moment was a fulfillment of God's word to deliver all his enemies into his hand.  Yet David refused to kill Saul and would not allow any of his men to do so.  Instead, he cut a piece from Saul's clothing as a sign he had opportunity to kill Saul but did not.  It seemed justifiable to David at the time as a sign he harboured no ill will against Saul.

But later, David was troubled by his actions.  He was convicted by the Holy Spirit and regretted what he had done.  He would not lift up a finger against God's anointed, nor even speak poorly of him:  how dare he damage Saul's robe?  Some would have felt justified in killing Saul in cold blood, yet David was deeply convicted over simply cutting a piece of Saul's fabric!  God convicts people of sin that extends far beyond the limited reaches of the Law because it aims at the heart.  Even when David showed great restraint, God wounded his conscience and taught him a deeper lesson still.

May our hearts be smitten even when we think of evil, before our sword is unsheathed and damage done.  Often we do not perceive our actions as evil because we have justified them according to the twisted perspective of the flesh.  It is only afterward our hearts are troubled because we realise we have done wrong in God's sight.  Remorse and regret are wayfaring professors who will do us much future good if we will heed their lessons now.  Acknowledgement of past failures according to God's standard is the first step towards walking in a biblical, God-fearing manner in the future.  When our hearts are troubled because of our sin, let us repent before God and man.  May we humble ourselves and take correction as obedient children before a loving Father who seeks to restore.

God receives the repentant with a smile and open arms.  Rejoice when convicted, O sinner, for in that moment God speaks.  What grace that He communicates such instruction to us!  Let us take to heart His correction and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, though the entire world counsel us otherwise.