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1 Samuel 20 | 1 Corinthians 2 | Lamentations 5 | Psalm 36

Although the story of Saul is tragic, narrating the slow descent of a man who seemed to start off his reign so well, Saul’s legacy nevertheless includes one very bright point: his son Jonathan. Jonathan’s life, however, also involves tragedy, since the sins of Jonathan’s father, Saul, have meant that Jonathan himself would never become king over Israel. Nevertheless, Jonathan’s deep humility and integrity leads him to pledge eagerly to David all the support he can offer here in 1 Samuel 20.

The critical background information to understand the friendship between David and Jonathan is found in 1 Samuel 18, where we first read that David and Jonathan loved each other with the deepest of friendship, so that their souls were knit together (1 Sam. 18:1). There, we find that Jonathan, despite being the prince of Israel and the heir apparent to the throne of Israel, nevertheless swore a covenant with David out of his deep love for his friend (1 Sam. 18:3).

Here in 1 Samuel 20, the two friends not only renew their covenant (1 Sam. 20:16), but Jonathan pledges to protect David from the wrath of Saul once again. What is interesting, though, is that Jonathan demands in return that David pledge to protect Jonathan’s house (that is, his family) in the event that Jonathan will die. Jonathan seems to understand that for David to become the next king, Jonathan might die. This is not a source of bitterness for Jonathan but a source of joy, so that Jonathan prays, “May the LORD take vengeance on David’s enemies” (1 Sam. 20:16) when he makes his covenant with David.

It is obvious to us that David’s story foreshadows the story of Jesus, since Jesus is the Son of David and since the New Testament explicitly draws many comparisons between the events of David’s life and those of Jesus’. But, we should not allow David to eclipse the glory of Jonathan in foreshadowing Jesus as well. In Jonathan, we see a prince willing to die to uphold the covenant God has sworn to David and to protect David from the wrath of his own father—and all of this happens even though Jonathan is the rightful heir to the throne of Israel. In Jonathan, then, we see an uncommon level of humility—the same kind of humility modeled by Jesus Christ himself, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant…becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:6–8).

Therefore, let us have the same mind—that is, the same mind of humility modeled by Jonathan and ultimately by Jesus himself—among ourselves, looking not to our own interests but to the interests of others (Phil. 2:4).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Samuel 19 | 1 Corinthians 1 | Lamentations 4 | Psalm 35

Saul’s desperation to kill David grows in 1 Samuel 19, fueled in no small part by the fact that both Saul’s son Jonathan and his daughter Michal help David to escape Saul. The storyline of 1 Samuel traces carefully the slow, agonizing descent of Saul deeper and deeper into sin, madness, and torment as he seeks to kill David.

The overall downward trajectory of Saul’s life from this point on is not a direct path but is rather characterized by awkward lurches forward and backward spiritually. Here in 1 Samuel 19, for example, Saul’s son Jonathan is able to convince his father for a time not to harm David. But, Saul goes back on his word almost immediately, and astonishingly, we read that he does so because Yahweh himself sends a harmful spirit to torment him (1 Sam. 19:9). Is God inhibiting Saul’s repentance?

In fact, there’s even more about Yahweh’s affliction of Saul with which we must wrestle. When Saul sends messengers to Naioth in Ramah to take David, Yahweh sends his own Spirit upon all three sets of those messengers, causing them to prophesy (1 Sam. 19:18–21)—and when Saul himself goes, Saul also prophesies (1 Sam. 19:23), just as had happened when Saul was first anointed king over Israel (1 Sam. 10:10). The prophesying, though, is not a blessing but rather a curse, as it drives Saul mad to the point that he strips naked, prophesying for Samuel all night and day (1 Sam. 19:24). When Israel revives the proverb “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (1 Sam. 19:24; cf. 1 Sam. 10:12), they are expressing not joy and wonder but revulsion.

What we are seeing here is a classic example of the principle that Yahweh often gives people exactly what they want. Saul had demonstrated almost immediately in his reign that he wanted his own ways more than he wanted Yahweh, and so Yahweh gives him his heart’s desire. Since we were created to know, love, and serve Yahweh, it is a curse for Yahweh to withdraw the joy of his presence from us. This does not mean, however, that we can flee Yahweh’s presence altogether—instead, we will experience him through emotional and spiritual anguish, as Saul did.

Stories like this force us to take account of our own spiritual desires. If you want life, then you will want Jesus, since “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12). And, by extension, if you do not want Jesus, then you will not receive life, since Jesus is himself true God and eternal life (1 John 5:20). Any who reject Jesus will find nothing but agony, since everything outside of Jesus is death.

Therefore choose life in Christ, that you might live.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Samuel 18 | Romans 16 | Lamentations 3 | Psalm 34

It was not Yahweh’s intention for David to wait passively for the throne of Israel, hidden from the public eye, until the day Saul died. Rather, Yahweh sovereignly orchestrated that the lives of the two anointed kings should begin intersecting immediately upon the anointing of David. David first encountered Saul when he played the harp for Saul (1 Sam. 16), and later when he joined Israel’s battle against Goliath (1 Sam. 17). In today’s reading, David becomes best friends with Saul’s son Jonathan (1 Sam. 18:1–5), and he marries Saul’s daughter Michal (1 Sam. 18:17–29).

Saul’s relationship with David begins on a friendly note but quickly sours when Saul starts to compare Israel’s praise for David with Israel’s praise for him: “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (1 Sam. 18:7). When Saul hears this, he worries about the increasing prominence of David, asking himself, “what more can he have but the kingdom?” (1 Sam. 18:8). Deep down, Saul recognizes that the real threat extends beyond his crown and to his spiritual condition: “Saul was afraid of David because the LORD was with him but had departed from Saul” (1 Sam. 18:12).

As Saul stews on these thoughts, the harmful spirit from God continues to torment him. So, one day while David is playing his lyre to soothe Saul’s madness, Saul attempts to kill David with his spear (1 Sam. 18:10–11). And when Saul is unable to kill David himself, he attempts to kill David through the battlefield, first by appointing David as the commander over one thousand Israelite warriors (1 Sam. 18:13) and then by asking David to bring him one hundred foreskins of the Philistines in exchange for the hand of Saul’s daughter Michal in marriage (1 Sam. 18:25). But when Yahweh gives David victory over the Philistines, Saul’s fear—as well as David’s fame—grows greater and greater (1 Sam. 18:29).

Increasingly, Saul’s greatest downfall is his own scheming. While David entrusts his life to Yahweh at every turn, Saul attempts to protect himself, regardless of whom he might hurt in the process. And even though Yahweh continually thwarts his plans and continues to exalt David, Saul refuses to repent, choosing instead to double down on his schemes as he furiously tries to fix the problems that he himself creates.

Where in your life are you scheming rather than trusting God? In what areas are you taking matters into your own hands rather than entrusting yourself to the God of David—and to the Son of David who loved you so much that he died for you? To imagine that you are the only person who will look after your welfare is a lie from hell. Repent of your schemes and entrust yourself to the God who judges justly (1 Pet. 2:23).

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Samuel 17 | Romans 15 | Lamentations 2 | Psalm 33

The story of David and Goliath is one of the more well known stories of the Bible, and with good reason. While the entire nation of Israel was quivering before the booming taunts of the giant Philistine named Goliath, the youngest son of Jesse arrives at the battlefield and quickly volunteers to fight as Israel’s champion. David faces opposition from his brother (1 Sam. 17:28), from Saul (1 Sam. 17:33), and especially from Goliath (1 Sam. 17:43), but ultimately David ends up victorious. This story has much to teach us about the Christian life.

First, David is not deceived by Goliath’s outward appearance, but rather he sees the situation rightly: “For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Sam. 17:26). God had chosen David not because of David’s physical strength or size but based on the spiritual realities of his heart (1 Sam. 16:7). Here, David looks at the situation in the same way, recognizing that the spiritual power of the living God far exceeds the physical power of this uncircumcised Philistine. As we face opposition and persecution for our faith—even from people who appear to have an extraordinary amount of power—we should remind ourselves of the spiritual realities of the situation.

Second, just as David does not assess the threat of Goliath according to appearances, so he also does not lean upon the armor that, according to appearances, would give him the greatest chance of victory. He has not tested Saul’s armor, so he declines to use it (1 Sam. 17:39). Instead, he depends upon the armor he has tested many times in the past—the armor of God. David has learned to trust God while protecting the sheep under his care from the attacks of vicious animals (1 Sam. 17:34–37), so he confidently goes out against Goliath, insisting to Goliath that “the battle is the LORD’s and he will give you into our hand” (1 Sam. 17:47).

Third, and most importantly, the true value of this story comes not as an example for us to follow but as a shadow of another champion whom God would send into this world to protect his people. Our greatest problem is not any uncircumcised Philistine of our own day but rather the curse of sin, death, and the devil—and even more so, the wrath of God against us because of our own guilt before him. This story does not teach us to try to be David against our own Goliath but to trust the Son of David who went to the cross to slay our great enemies as well as to reconcile us to the Father by taking upon himself God’s wrath in our place.

One champion went out to battle for you, and by trusting in his victory, you will find salvation.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Samuel 16 | Romans 14 | Lamentations 1 | Psalm 32

The introduction of David in 1 Samuel 16 is a giant leap forward in the unfolding story of the Bible, even if the story starts with a small step as Samuel travels to Bethlehem to anoint the youngest son of Jesse. Before we get to the long-term implications of David’s kingship, there are two critical issues we first must notice in this passage.

First, Yahweh implicitly contrasts the physical appearance of Saul with the physical appearance of David. Yahweh explains to Samuel that he has not selected Israel’s next king based on stature: “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Sam. 16:7). Saul’s main selling point was his tall height (1 Sam. 10:23), but David is a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). David was a handsome man (1 Sam. 16:12), but appearance was never primary for David.

Second, the Spirit of Yahweh rushed upon David (1 Sam. 16:13), just as had happened with Saul (1 Sam. 10:10). As we discussed briefly in the meditation for 1 Samuel 10, the anointing with oil symbolized the ministry of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Samuel 16:14, however, we learn that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was not permanent in the old covenant: “Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul.” The Holy Spirit was given to anointed office-bearers in Israel—to prophets, priests, and kings—for the sake of mediating the presence of Yahweh’s Spirit to the rest of the people, but when those office-bearers sinned against Yahweh, they could lose the Holy Spirit, as Saul does here.

Under the new covenant, these two issues remain fundamentally the same, but with an important twist. God is still looking for men and women after his own heart and he still anoints his people with his Holy Spirit. The difference, though, is that the Christ—that is, the ultimate Anointed One—has come. God has never given the Holy Spirit as a reward to good people; instead, we learn in the New Testament that God gives his Holy Spirit to sinners to transform our hearts to follow after him. The Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, opens our eyes to the glory of Christ, gives us faith to trust him for salvation, and undertakes the work of conforming us to the image of Jesus.

Thank God today that keeping the Holy Spirit rests on his grace and not your obedience, so that because of Jesus, you cannot lose the Holy Spirit as Saul did. Instead, ask God to continue filling you more fully with his Spirit so that you might love Jesus more through the Spirit’s permanent, indwelling ministry.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Samuel 15 | Romans 13 | Jeremiah 52 | Psalm 31

A major issue in biblical theology arises in 1 Samuel 15: What does it mean to read that Yahweh “regrets” decisions he has made? When Yahweh commands Saul to devote everything among the Amalekites to destruction, Saul obeys only insofar as it is convenient for him: “All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction” (1 Sam. 15:9). And when obedience to Yahweh proves inconvenient, Saul disobeys, choosing to spare the lives of King Agag and the Amalekites’ livestock. After Saul disregards Yahweh’s command, the word of Yahweh comes to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments” (1 Sam. 15:11; cf. 1 Sam. 15:35). How should we interpret this?

First, here we see the same word that was used twice in Genesis 6 to describe Yahweh’s regret for creating humankind altogether before sending the flood during the days of Noah: “And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved his heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land…for I am sorry that I have made them’” (Gen. 6:6–7). In both cases, this word “regret” signals that Yahweh would take decisive action to set things right—in Genesis 6 by sending a flood to destroy the whole world and in 1 Samuel by anointing a new king, whom we will meet in tomorrow’s reading.

Second, the same word is used two other times in 1 Samuel 15, and the next occurrences are critical for developing a balanced biblical theology on this point: “And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret” (1 Sam. 15:29). Yahweh does regret creating humankind and putting Saul on the throne, but what God means by regret does not exactly correspond to our own, human experience of regret.

Taken together, we see a God who loves his creation so much that he grieves over its brokenness and rebellion. The point of this passage is not that God makes mistakes that he must repent from in the way that you or I do, but more that God cares so deeply about this world that he will take whatever action is necessary to set things right. Ultimately, God’s regret over the sinful brokenness of this world prompted him to send his only, beloved Son to die in order to set things right.

We serve neither a flawed God who makes mistakes nor a detached, impersonal God who cares nothing for his creation. Instead, we serve a perfect God whose deep love compelled him to seek our redemption—even when it cost him his most precious, beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Samuel 14 | Romans 12 | Jeremiah 51 | Psalm 30

The story of salvation history in the Bible does not progress in nice, straight, neat lines. This is a comforting thought, since spiritual growth in our own lives moves forward not with perfect, unbroken progress but rather in fits and starts as we awkwardly advance in the grace of the gospel. In today’s reading, we see Israel simultaneously taking steps forward and backward in a few interesting ways.

Importantly, 1 Samuel 14 is where we first meet Jonathan, the single greatest figure outside of Samuel and David during this period of Israel’s history. Jonathan stands out as a valiant man of faith who does not fear the Philistines at all. Instead, he recognizes that “nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few” (1 Sam. 14:6). Through his unwavering faith, Jonathan represents a step forward for Israel.

But we also see Israel taking a step backward in the actions of their leader, Saul, who makes a foolish vow to put to death anyone who tastes food before the Philistines have been defeated (1 Sam. 14:24). Suddenly, Saul finds himself with the same dilemma that Jephthah faced in Judges 11: Saul’s vow had bound him to put his own son to death for tasting honey that day (1 Sam. 14:39–42).

At this point, however, Israel takes another step forward by refusing to allow Saul to keep his vow, as Jephthah had done. Instead, Israel intervenes and ransoms Jonathan to preserve his life (1 Sam. 14:45). They recognize that Saul had “troubled the land” (1 Sam. 14:29) with a sinful, foolish vow. But rather than permitting Saul to compound his sin, they prevent him from carrying out the terms of his vow.

Through stories like this, God shows us what it looks like to grow in the gospel. All of us wish we could permanently move beyond our sin in one decisive event—say, from hearing one sermon or reading one book—but that simply isn’t how God transforms us. The curse of sin lurks too deeply in our hearts to die that easily.

Nevertheless, there is hope for lasting transformation, even if it doesn’t come as quickly as we would like it to. God has provided us nothing less than the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ, which he brings to us through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Remember the words of Paul: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). God will bring his good work in you to completion, so do not give up the fight of faith. No matter how many steps backward you may have taken, repent today and move forward in faith through reliance upon the grace of God in the gospel.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Samuel 13 | Romans 11 | Jeremiah 50 | Psalms 28–29

Saul’s sacrifice in 1 Samuel 13 was a serious sin—so serious, in fact, that Yahweh tore the kingdom away from Saul for it (1 Sam. 13:13–14). In essence, Saul had usurped the priesthood, since Yahweh had appointed only the offspring of Aaron to serve him as priests and Saul was descended from Benjamin. Saul did not qualify as a priest, and to highjack priestly ministry was blasphemous. There is an irony to this story, however. Samuel, who was supposed to offer the sacrifice, did not actually himself qualify to be a priest—at least, not according to the normal qualifications. We learn from the genealogy in 1 Chronicles 6:33–38 that Samuel was a Levite and a Kohathite but that he was not descended from Aaron. In fact, Samuel was descended from Korah (1 Chron. 6:37), the Kohathite who had rebelled against Moses by insisting that “all in the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them” (Num. 16:3). Korah had demanded the priesthood, and in doing so he provoked Yahweh’s wrath so that the ground opened up and swallowed him whole (Num. 16:32).

The underlying principle of the priesthood, then, is this: Yahweh appoints his priests. The author of Hebrews puts it this way: “And no one takes this honor for himself, but only when called by God, just as Aaron was” (Heb. 5:4). In other words, there can be other priests outside of the line of Aaron (like Samuel), but only if Yahweh himself appoints those priests.

This principle is critical for understanding the priesthood of Jesus, since Jesus is from the tribe of Judah, not Levi (Heb. 7:14). The legitimacy of Jesus’ priesthood is based upon the priesthood of Melchizedek, who preceded Aaron in the story of the Bible, since we met Melchizedek back in Genesis 14. The author of Hebrews writes this, “So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten you’; as he says also in another place, ‘You are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek’” (Heb. 5:5–6).

The legitimacy of Christ’s priesthood is the foundation on which the entire gospel rests: “And being made perfect, [Jesus] became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:9–10). And because he is our priest, it is nothing short of blasphemy to usurp Christ’s priesthood—like Saul—by attempting to atone for our sins through anything other than faith in his finished work on the cross. Today, are you trusting in your own sacrifices to mediate for you before God, or does your faith rest in the perfect, finished, priestly work of Jesus Christ?

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Samuel 12 | Romans 10 | Jeremiah 49 | Psalms 26–27

There are some striking similarities between the farewell address of Samuel in 1 Samuel 12 and the speech of Paul to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20. Like Samuel, Paul also insists that he had not defrauded anything from the Ephesians while he was in their midst (Acts 20:33–34; cf. 1 Sam. 12:3–4), and, like Samuel, Paul also urges the Ephesians to continue to walk faithfully in the gospel after his departure (Acts 20:29–32; cf. 1 Sam. 12:20–25). By studying these two passages together, we learn two significant principles about faithful ministry.

First, faithful ministry declares the whole counsel of God. Samuel suggests that he himself would continue to “instruct you in the good and the right way” (1 Sam. 12:23), even now that a king has been appointed. Paul, then, puts it this way: “Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:26–27).

Specifically, faithful ministry means proclaiming the news of God’s love in the gospel. Samuel acknowledges Israel’s sin, but he nevertheless urges them to continue following Yahweh and serving him with all their hearts (1 Sam. 12:20–21), assuring them of Yahweh’s covenantal love for them: “For the LORD will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the LORD to make you a people for himself” (1 Sam. 12:22).

Second, faithful ministry involves ceaseless prayer. Samuel declares his intentions to continue praying for Israel: “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you…” (1 Sam. 12:23), and Paul concludes his time with the Ephesian elders with tearful prayer (Acts 20:36).

The ultimate faithful minister, of course, was our Lord Jesus. As Jesus prayed on the night before his crucifixion, he insisted that he had faithfully declared the words of his Father: “For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me” (John 17:8). Also, Jesus would be faithful to pray for his people all the way to the end: “I am praying for them” (John 17:9).

But as Jesus continues building his church on earth, he has entrusted the word and prayer not only to ordained ministers. Rather, he has called all his people to ministry. While our roles in the church may vary, we are all commanded to “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly” (Col. 3:16) and to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). To whom has God sent you as a minister, both through proclaiming the gospel and through prayer?

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

1 Samuel 11 | Romans 9 | Jeremiah 48 | Psalm 25

At the end of 1 Samuel 10, the narrator gave us a new, critical detail about Saul: “Saul also went to his home at Gibeah…” (1 Sam. 10:26). We knew that Saul was a Benjaminite, and we knew that Saul claimed to be from the humblest clan of the tribe of Benjamin (1 Sam. 9:21), but now we discover what Saul meant: Israel’s first king descends from the clan who lived in Gibeah, where the brutal rape and murder of the Levite’s concubine had happened in Judges 19. The narrator has withheld this information up until now, but we cannot understand what happens here in 1 Samuel 11 unless we understand the history of Saul’s clan.

When Saul discovers that Jabesh-gilead is under siege, he immediately snaps into action, summoning all Israel to rise to the city’s defense. Now, keep in mind that Jabesh-gilead was the city from which Israel had taken wives for the decimated tribe of Benjamin by slaughtering all the men and all the married women (Judg. 21). Apparently, the Ammonites had recognized that Jabesh-gilead had no way of fighting for itself after losing all its men, and so they went to capture the city and to bring disgrace on all Israel through gouging out the eyes of the city’s inhabitants (1 Sam. 11:2).

But shockingly, when Saul hears this news, he summons Israel’s warriors by reenacting what the Levite had done in Judges 19 when he discovered that his concubine had been murdered. Accordingly, Saul takes a yoke of his oxen, cuts them into pieces, and sends those pieces to all Israel, saying, “Whoever does not come out after Saul and Samuel, so shall it be done to his oxen!” (1 Sam. 11:7). Saul seems to be acknowledging the bloody history of his clan, while nevertheless moving forward from this story in two ways: (1) Saul dismembers animals, not human beings, and (2) Saul summons Israel to defend Jabesh-gilead, rather than to attack them. Then, after the battle is over, Saul refuses to slaughter the men who had opposed his rule, in contrast to how Israel had compounded their sin after slaughtering the people of Jabesh-gilead by kidnapping the virgin women of Shiloh (Judg. 21:16–23). Saul of Gibeah mirrors—but redeems—every part of the terrible story of his clan’s history.

There is much for us to learn from this as we consider the dark parts of our own stories. Rather than hiding them in shame, the gospel of Jesus calls us to confess our sins and move on from them, recognizing that God is powerful enough to redeem even our sins for his own purposes and glory. May God give us boldness to entrust our stories to him—as Saul did—rather than hiding our past sins in shame.

Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.