Tracy Dwight

Like most people, I have been treated unfairly at times by others seeking to gain something from my misfortune. It is human nature to strike back at them, in some way to get even. Before I walked with Christ, I would make plans to get revenge or to somehow thwart them, even to the point of laying awake at night. It took many years for me to realize that this was turning me into the same sort of twisted individual they had become.

King Saul reminds me of those individuals. Saul had become paranoid and delusional from years of worry and doubt. 1 Samuel 19:1 states that “Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David.”

Saul, obviously a very troubled man, sought to kill David simply because of his popularity. I am struck by how David resists the temptation to strike back. Obviously, by this time he is no longer the little shepherd boy, having killed many Philistines in battle. He is a battle-hardened warrior who could easily kill the aging King Saul. But he resists the temptation in order to follow the path that God had laid out. Because of his obedience to God, he gained an intercessor in the king’s own son, Jonathan.

In my own walk with Christ, I have discovered the freedom that giving it over to God brings. Though not often easy, I must keep giving it to God until I stop taking it back! An old hymn expresses this well in this line, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of this earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

King Saul gave in to his fears and doubts as David became more popular and became jealous and bitter. I have found in that when I focus on what others have, I cut myself off from the blessings God has for me. When I let worry and doubt take over, I instinctively bring about the very things I feared. Instead, through prayer and supplication, I take these to God and in faith, keep following Jesus on a daily basis. I find that in God’s time it all works out according to His plan. Throughout this period, David did struggle with worry and doubt, repeatedly asking Jonathan what he had done. But he continued in faith, striving to follow God’s will rather than giving in to the worry and doubt.

Psalm 11:1 says, “In the Lord I take refuge. How then can you say to me: Flee like a bird to your mountain.”

In this Psalm, David struggles with waiting on God to act in his defense and wrestling with worry and doubt. But by the end of this Psalm, he is praising God’s righteousness and justice. I have often struggled with worry and doubt and wondered to myself, “Where is God, does He even care?” It took too many years for me to understand that God really does have perfect timing. Each one of these struggles is a teaching moment from which I can learn; bringing me one step closer to God’s destiny for my life. That is if I remain steadfast in my faith and not give in to the temptation to solve it my way.

Psalm 26:12 says, “My feet stand on level ground; in the great assembly I will praise the Lord.”

By the end of this Psalm, David is firmly standing on faith in God; we ask ourselves, “Am I firmly standing in my faith?” I must ask myself this question every day as I face the many challenges of life. Like David, I now have no doubt that God will fulfill His destiny for my life if I continue to walk in faith daily.

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This post was written by a group of volunteer writers who strive to share God's truth through an online platform, but may not reflect the views of The Vineyard Church as a whole. To learn how you can get involved, email us at

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