Daily Devotional

“And Saul cast the spear, for he said, ‘I will pin David to the wall!’ But David escaped his presence twice” (1 Samuel 18:11). 

Bitter taste is usually a stark warning for humans to spit out of their mouths something that is poisonous or germ-infested. It’s the most sensitive of the five tastes, and for most people it is unpleasantly sharp. A large number of natural bitter compounds are toxic. Our ability to detect even a small amount of bitterness is a protective function given to us by the Creator. 

Yet some people savour bitterness in their food and drink. Bitter melon, unsweetened chocolate, and broccoli have bitter compounds. Most people are not born with a natural enjoyment of bitterness. It is a learned taste. Many have to develop a liking for dandelion greens, Jerusalem artichoke, and burdock root. 

King Saul developed a taste for bitterness, not in his mouth but in his heart. After David killed Goliath, Saul gladly took the youth into his inner circle. But when the king heard the women singing, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7), he became very angry. His resentment toward the young hero grew to the point where he tried more than once to kill the shepherd from Bethlehem when he came to play his harp. 

The spirit of jealousy is a poison. Bitterness turns into resentment and leads to hatred. Even though Saul was of a higher status than David, the young warrior became a favourite among the Israelites. The king should have immediately spit the bitter spirit of enmity out of his mouth. He didn’t. Over time Saul’s hatred increased until he wanted to pin David to the wall with a spear. 

The refined character of David only fuelled Saul’s envy. The very presence of the wise and skilful youth seemed to put Saul in a bad light. This same hatred was in the heart of Cain when he saw his righteous brother Abel. Bitterness of the heart is a toxin that should always be spewed out. 

Dear God, remove from my heart all bitterness, resentment, jealousy, and malice toward others.