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Observations from today’s readings and today’s S-WOD, Friday, 1 August 2025:
1 Samuel 18:1 — As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
Jonathan, already a courageous man of faith (see 1 Samuel 14), instantly recognized in David a kindred spirit, another man whose heart beat wholly for the Lord. Their bond was not rooted in politics, power, or convenience, but in shared spiritual alignment and zeal for God’s glory. True friendship finds its deepest anchor in shared submission to God. This kind of covenantal friendship is rare and precious, and it models the kind of unity that believers are called to have in Christ (Philippians 2:1–2). In marriage especially, this type of soul-knit unity, where two people are equally yoked in faith and purpose, is the ideal. Jonathan and David model a selfless, sacrificial love that points forward to Christ, who calls us friends (John 15:13–15).
In His great High Priestly Prayer the night He was betrayed before His crucifixion, Jesus prayed to the Father that His disciples would have perfect oneness — unity in heart, mind, soul, strength, identity, and destiny — with Him and oneness with each other in Him (John 17:22, 23). The reality of relationship is that as people individually draw closer to Jesus, they will, by definition, draw closer to each other. There is a natural, intended, supernatural fellowship among those who all have the same life ambition – to Know Him (John 17:3), to be with Him (John 17:24), and to be just like Him (1 John 2:6; 1 John 4:17). Who is walking with you towards Christ?
1 Samuel 18:8-9 — And Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, “They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands, and what more can he have but the kingdom?” And Saul eyed David from that day on.
The seed of Saul’s destruction was planted in his heart long before David arrived on the scene, but envy caused it to sprout. Rather than rejoice that the Lord was giving Israel victory through David, Saul allowed comparison to take root and fester into murderous jealousy. This moment echoes the envy of Cain toward Abel (Genesis 4:4–5) and the envy of the religious leaders toward Jesus (Matthew 27:18). Envy is not just disliking what someone else has — it is resenting God for giving it to them. It is a direct challenge to God’s wisdom and sovereignty. It destroys relationships and erodes character. God calls us to “rejoice with those who rejoice” (Romans 12:15), not to secretly grieve their victories. Saul could not do that, and it consumed him.
Comparison also distorts identity. Saul was king — he had honor, power, and divine anointing. But because someone else received greater praise, he saw himself as diminished. That’s the lie of envy: that someone else’s light extinguishes yours. In God’s kingdom, there is no scarcity of favor. We are each called to faithfulness, not competition.
Saul’s envy erupted when his reputation was eclipsed. The comparison between his victories and David’s ignited a slow-burning jealousy that would consume him. Envy, unlike admiration, resents others’ success and assumes that God’s blessings are a zero-sum game. Saul’s question is revealing: “What more can he have but the kingdom?” This is not just political fear; it is spiritual rebellion. Saul resents God’s choice and attempts to retain what God has removed from him. Envy is not only destructive and divisive; it is idolatrous. It exalts our desires above God’s purposes and sets our will against His. It was envy that led the chief priests to deliver Jesus to Pilate (Matthew 27:18). Again, envy is not merely horizontal discontent; it is vertical rebellion. To be clear, envy ruins your relationship with God, who is your Life, so, it will destroy you, while hurting everyone else around you.
- Proverbs 14:30 — A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot.
- 1 Corinthians 13:4 — Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant….
- Proverbs 27:4 — Wrath is cruel, anger is overwhelming, but who can stand before jealousy?
- Galatians 5:19-21 — Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity… enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy… and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
- Philippians 2:3 — Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.
- James 3:16 — For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.
- 1 Corinthians 3:3 — For you are still of the flesh. For while there is jealousy and strife among you, are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way?
- Romans 13:13 — Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.
1 Samuel 18:12 — Saul was afraid of David because the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.
The Spirit of God’s presence brings peace and power to those who walk in obedience, but it evokes fear in those who rebel. Saul’s fear of David was rooted in the recognition that God had transferred favor to someone else. He feared not because of David’s ambition, but because of God’s anointing. Similarly, the world will fear or oppose believers when it senses the authority and presence of God upon them. “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
Spiritual power is not always welcomed by those in authority, especially when that power exposes their own emptiness. Light exposes darkness, and the anointing reveals the absence of divine favor. Spirit-filled Christians may be misunderstood, rejected, or even feared, not because of anything they’ve done, but because of who is with them.
- John 15:18-25 — “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father also. If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’
1 Samuel 18:14 — And David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him.
David’s success came not from strategy or self-promotion but from the Lord’s presence. This is repeated often in Scripture: “The Lord was with him.” That is the true measure of success. Faithfulness invites God’s favor, and God’s favor leads to enduring fruit. Jesus affirmed this in John 15:5 — “Apart from me you can do nothing.” Our focus must be less on results and more on abiding in Christ, for then success will be defined by obedience, not outcome. Unlike worldly definitions of success, which hinge on performance, prestige, or prosperity, biblical success flows from obedience and intimacy with God. This verse is echoed in Joseph’s story: “The LORD was with Joseph, and he became a successful man” (Genesis 39:2). Obedience invites God’s presence; God’s presence brings enduring success.
- Joshua 1:8 — This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.
1 Samuel 18:15 — And when Saul saw that he had great success, he stood in fearful awe of him.
Even Saul, who was hardened and rebellious, could not deny the divine blessing on David’s life. But instead of being drawn to repentance, he was driven deeper into fear and hatred. The same sun that melts wax hardens clay; so too does the presence of God soften the humble and harden the proud. Let Saul’s reaction serve as a warning: if we do not repent when we see God working in others, our hearts will grow cold and bitter.
Saul’s awe was not reverent admiration but resentful fear. He recognized that David’s favor and fruitfulness were not of this world. Saul, having been lifted up by God, should have rejoiced to see God raise another. Instead, his jealousy exposed a heart that sought glory for self, not for God. Jealousy poisoned Saul’s leadership and distorted his perception. Rather than partnering with God’s purposes, he opposed them. As Henry Blackaby observes, jealousy is rooted in a distorted view of God’s provision. It assumes God’s blessings are limited and fears others’ gain as our loss. It kills contentment, joy, and gratitude, eventually leading to destruction (James 3:16). Like Saul, we must repent of any reluctance to celebrate others’ successes lest we find ourselves fighting against the very hand of God, as mentioned above and repeated here intentionally for emphasis – You need to hear this more than once and take it to heart.
1 Samuel 18:25 — Then Saul said, “Thus shall you say to David, ‘The king desires no bride-price except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, that he may be avenged of the king’s enemies.’” Now Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.
This was not a generous offer; it was a trap. Saul tried to cloak a murderous plan under the guise of royal generosity. It shows how sin darkens discernment and distorts justice. Saul had moved from insecurity to deception and manipulation. Evil often masquerades as good, and Satan himself disguises as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). Enemies may present opportunities that seem attractive but are designed for our downfall. We must be spiritually discerning, for not every offer that appears good is from God. “Test everything; hold fast what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). When we walk in humility and intimacy with God, He grants us the clarity to navigate traps masked as gifts. David’s eventual triumph was not a result of cunning, but of covenant faithfulness to God.
“Cross” Fit S-WOD (Spiritual Workout of the Day) – 1 August 2025: In a world obsessed with recognition and driven by comparison, commit today to rejoice in others’ victories without envy and to walk in quiet faithfulness even if others receive the praise. Refuse to allow comparison to corrupt your calling. Let your soul be knit to others who share a passion for God’s glory. Guard your heart from envy by focusing on God’s presence, not people’s praise. Celebrate others’ success as evidence of God at work, and ask God to fill you with the same Spirit that empowered David. Choose faith-filled friendship like Jonathan, and seek success defined not by results but by obedience. Walk in the Spirit so that others may see the Lord with you and even fear Him because of His undeniable presence in your life.
Pray: “Father, help me to walk in humility and joy, rejoicing in Your favor on others and not envying what You have not given me. Knit my heart to others who love You wholeheartedly. Let Your presence be so real in my life that others sense it. Protect me from jealousy, comparison, and bitterness. May I be known for character, not reputation, for being with You, not for being praised by men. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”
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