Spiritual Sensitivity

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 24:5, Now it happened afterward that David’s heart troubled him because he had cut Saul’s robe.

What did David do that brought on such a reaction on his part? Although He chose not to harm Saul in any way, his heart was troubled over doing something as seemingly insignificant as cutting a piece of Saul’s robe. Oh that we, as followers of Jesus, would be this sensitive to the Spirit’s conviction in our lives. The robe which Saul wore was a symbol of his royal appointment to the throne by God Himself. When we read carefully what David said in the next verse, we see that this conviction that struck David’s heart had more to do with his relationship with God than it did his relationship with Saul. Verse 6 reads, “And he said to his men, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.’” Although he acknowledges Saul as one of authority over him, David’s real reason for the conviction he felt was the fact that Saul was “the LORD’s anointed” and “anointed of the LORD”. We see this same kind of conviction in the life of Joseph when Potiphar’s wife tried to seduce him in Genesis 39:8-9 which reads, “But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Look, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. 9 There is no one greater in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’” We must begin to prepare ourselves to avoid greater sin in our lives by becoming sensitive to even the smallest of sins in our lives. So often we dismiss the conviction over what we consider small sins. When we tell a small white lie (which by the way is a lie nonetheless), or we use corrupt, inappropriate, language, and feel that conviction in our hearts, we either convince ourselves that it was no big deal or we allow others to convince us that it was okay because these things are more widely acceptable in society today; thereby being easily justified. What we do not realize is that God is working in us, through the conviction of the Holy Spirit, to make us more sensitive to His moving and working in our lives. The more we dismiss these seemingly insignificant instances in our lives, the easier it will be to give in to the greater sins that the world and the devils will put before us. I said in an earlier devotional that David’s men would have completely backed him had he chosen to strike Saul down in the cave. Yet, David’s conviction came as a result of being more concerned with what God saw and wanted than with what man thought or desired, even his own desires. Although David could have found great relief from the constant running away from Saul, he chose to do what was right before God, rather than give in to his desire to find rest from the chase. He chose to wait on God rather than make things happen on his own timetable. Our own personal desires and refusal to be patient will drive us to do things that are ultimately sin against God. It drives us to disobedience and self-sufficiency, making ourselves lords of our own lives. David’s reaction to what he did showed a heart that was sensitive to the Lord who was working in his life to make him king of His people. Are we the kind of servants that are this sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s conviction in our lives? Our desire as born again Christians should be to have a relationship with the LORD that makes us ultra-sensitive to the leading and convicting of the Holy Spirit. The next time we feel conviction over one of our actions, attitudes, or something we said, before we dismiss it, let us stop and ask ourselves, “Was what I just did or said sin against God? Did it violate something in God’s Word?” If so, then let us repent and immediately go to the throne of grace and ask God to forgive us. Let us be the kind of Christian that is more concerned about being right with God than being popular with men.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).