Defuse The Jealousy Time Bomb | 1 Samuel 18:5-9

Is jealousy about to explode within you?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 18. I've titled this chapter "Allies and Adversaries."

David returns from defeating Goliath and builds an instant ally with Jonathan, but an adversary will rise from inside the ranks. Let's see the plot thicken in 5-9:

And David went out and was successful wherever Saul sent him, so that Saul set him over the men of war. And this was good in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants. As they were coming home, when David returned from striking down the Philistine, the women came out of all the cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with tambourines, with songs of joy, and with musical instruments. And the women sang to one another as they celebrated,

"Saul has struck down his thousands,
and David his ten thousands."

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. — 1 Samuel 18:5-9

This situation is a ticking time bomb of jealousy, which will drive King Saul crazy. Given the right circumstances, jealousy will drive anyone crazy.

Take a look at this time bomb. Saul, the tallest man in Israel, was the natural choice for the battle with Goliath, but he never engaged. After forty days of waiting, a young, good-looking, musical shepherd boy comes out and defeats Goliath and wins the day for Israel. King Saul sets him over the men of war, and then the women of the land start singing David's praises.

Now, we should pause to recognize that these women's praise is wrongly attributed to David. It was God who won the battle, and David knows that. But David cannot control the crowd and what the women say about him, and King Saul cannot either. Therefore, Saul feels like he is losing complete control because of this situation. God is having his way against the Philistines for Israel and against Saul for David, and this is deeply frustrating for Saul because he can feel the kingdom slipping through his fingers. The jealousy time bomb begins to tick.

Jealousy will drive you crazy. But it only drives you crazy if you fail to see God's divine hand at work and wrongly link your identity to actions you take, skills you perfect, power you possess, and positions you retain. I know too many men, me included, who ignore what God is doing and give too much credence to the things of this life. When we do this, we tie our sense of self-worth to the things of this life. Once that happens, we feel threatened by loss, and jealousy sets in. In the coming verses, Saul's jealousy leads to anger, outbursts, and irrational violence.

When jealousy begins to tick within you, you have to stop the ticking time bomb. The best way to do this is to:

1. Stop tying your identity to perceived losses, be that a skill, power, or position.
2. Start seeing God's plan in the situation and trust it.
3. Force yourself to celebrate with people who are winning with God's plan.

If you don't deal with your jealousy, it will escalate, as seen in the coming verses.

#Jealousy, #TrustInGod, #OvercomingEnvy

Ask This:

1. In what areas of your life might you struggle with jealousy, and how can you shift your focus from perceived losses to seeing God's plan at work?
2. How can you actively support and celebrate others' successes while guarding against feelings of envy and recognizing God's hand in their achievements?

Do This:

Stop the time bomb.

Pray This:

Lord, help me recognize and confront the jealousy that stirs within me, guiding me to see Your divine plan in every situation. Grant me the strength to celebrate others' successes and trust that my worth is in You alone. Amen.

Play This:

My Worth Is Not In What I Own.