Matins Devotion: August 4, 2025

1 Samuel 18:10-30

On the one hand, it’s hard to understand how King Saul keeps vacillating back and forth between profound love and hatred of David. It’s hard to understand how Saul could love David and cherish him, how he could find comfort in David playing his lyre for him one moment and then, just moments later, try to impale him with his spear.

On the other hand, it’s not. David is the true king, the one who will take the throne Saul wants to keep for himself, something that’s evocative of what David’s son Jesus Christ will do to Satan, casting him out of his position of power in this world and throwing him into the pit. God allows this spirit to afflict Saul because, through him, God is telling that story of Christ’s triumph. But nevertheless, when Saul is afflicted by an unclean spirit, the unclean spirit makes Saul see David not the way God does, but the way Satan does–as a rival to be destroyed.

And, of course, that’s precisely how Satan often leads us to view Christ Himself, resulting in a back-and-forth love and hate relationship of our own with the Son of God. One moment we love going to church, love hearing the Word and the story of salvation. Then, moments later, we hear one of our precious sins preached against, and we get filled with anger, wanting to hurl spears at whoever is trying to take from us the transgressions we want to keep, at whoever is seeking to knock us off our throne of pleasure and power. One moment we love praying, love receiving the body and blood of Christ. The next, we’re disgusted at the thought of doing either because we don’t want to get near the Savior who is casting our beloved transgressions far away from us.

So do what Saul didn’t. End your conspiring. And drag the heart that Satan is gnawing on into the presence of the Lord who will crush him. When the unclean spirits spiraling around you scream that you should hate the Lord who loves you, feast on him until they shut their mouths. Keep devouring Jesus and His love for you until you can no longer hear them sing their songs of hatred. Don’t try to pierce Jesus with your spear. Run to the Savior who was already pierced with nails and thorns and a spear for you at the cross and He will give you peace.