TUESDAY July 9, 2019
Testing the Waters
And David said to Jonathan, “Indeed tomorrow is the New Moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king to eat. But let me go, that I may hide in the field until the third day at evening. If your father misses me at all, then say, ‘David earnestly asked permission of me that he might run over to Bethlehem, his city, for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.’ If he says thus: ‘It is well,’ your servant will be safe. But if he is very angry, be sure that evil is determined by him.”
1 Samuel 20:5-7
The New Moon was a period when God’s people would hold a yearly religious festival. At this time, God’s people offered burnt sacrifices of consecration for their sins to the Lord. David decided to test the waters––he purposely did not attend the usual festival meal to see Saul’s reaction. Did King Saul really love David? The truth would become known if Saul acted hostile when questioning David’s whereabouts. Then Jonathan could see for himself what was in the heart of his father. The plan was very smart.
Testing the waters in a situation is a good character trait of a leader. It is wise to check people’s hearts in a circumstance to see their reactions. Those assisting a leader should be in tune with the vision the Lord has given them. There needs to be submission to the Lord and to the leader. A leader can test a person’s heart by giving them any duty to serve. Did they complain, cause division, or create confusion? Then they did not have the heart of a servant. A leader would have to make the decision to either correct them or not to use them in the capacity they were thinking.
The Word of God reveals to us that God tests a person’s heart and mind: “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:10). Spiritually speaking, have you checked to see what is going on in your heart and mind lately?
…For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds.
~Psalm 7:9~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!