When Your Snare Backfires | 1 Samuel 19:11-17

Are people setting snares for you today? Don't worry. God's got this; you'll see how.

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are in 1 Samuel 19. I've titled this chapter "When Enemies Pursue God Will Protect."

In yesterday's devotional, we learned how David faced relentless opposition from King Saul despite his faithfulness and success. Saul hurled a spear into the wall, attempting to kill David, going back on the promise he had given to his son Jonathan not to harm David. We continue today with more drama in 1 Samuel 19:11-17, which reads:

Saul sent messengers to David's house to watch him, that he might kill him in the morning. But Michal, David's wife, told him, "If you do not escape with your life tonight, tomorrow you will be killed." So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped. Michal took an image and laid it on the bed and put a pillow of goats' hair at its head and covered it with the clothes. And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick." Then Saul sent the messengers to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may kill him." And when the messengers came in, behold, the image was in the bed, with the pillow of goats' hair at its head. Saul said to Michal, "Why have you deceived me thus and let my enemy go, so that he has escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said to me, 'Let me go. Why should I kill you?'"— 1 Samuel 19:11-17

This situation must have been extremely irritating to Saul. If we return to the last chapter, Saul planned to use his daughter Michal as a snare for David (1 Samuel 18:21). But here, the snare King Saul set becomes the snare he stepped in. This adds insult to injury for the one who dares to scheme against the one blessed by God. The irony of manipulations is that they often become self-inflicted snares, which warn us that the best scheme is not to scheme or set a snare but to trust the salvation of the Savior. He is the one who saves us from all our enemies.

This principle is woven throughout Scripture. Consider the scheme of Joseph's brothers, who sold him into slavery. Their plan was meant to harm him, but their scheme played into God's scheme to elevate Joseph to the second highest position in the most powerful empire at the time, where he could leverage his authority to save his entire lineage from famine (Genesis 50:20). God's can turn the tables on our adversaries and use their schemes for his good will at any point in history. He has done it before and will do it again.

So, what's the takeaway?

When we encounter opposition or snares set by others, we can find comfort in knowing God is aware of what the opposition is doing. He can use their evil schemes to accomplish a greater and glorious plan, turning what looks like a troubling trap into a tremendous triumph.

#DivineProtection, #TrustGod, #OvercomingOpposition

Ask This:

1. How have you experienced or observed situations where others’ schemes or opposition seemed to backfire and lead to a greater good, and what did that teach you about trusting God's plan?
2. In what areas of your life are you facing opposition or challenges, and how can you shift your perspective to see God's protection and purpose in those situations?

Do This:

Let God save you from the snare and live righteously.

Pray This:

Lord, I trust that You are in control even when others' schemes seem to surround me. Help me to see Your hand in every challenge and find peace in Your protection and purpose. Amen.

Play This:

Control.