Been down that road

1 The Ziphites went to Saul at Gibeah and said, "Is not David hiding on the hill of Hakilah, which faces Jeshimon?"

 2 So Saul went down to the Desert of Ziph, with his three thousand chosen men of Israel, to search there for David. 3 Saul made his camp beside the road on the hill of Hakilah facing Jeshimon, but David stayed in the desert. When he saw that Saul had followed him there, 4 he sent out scouts and learned that Saul had definitely arrived. 1 Sam 26:1-4

Okay, wait a minute…did I miss something?

Haven't we been here before?

Didn't Saul make David swear he wouldn't kill him?

16 When David finished saying this, Saul asked, "Is that your voice, David my son?" And he wept aloud. 17 "You are more righteous than I," he said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly. 18 You have just now told me of the good you did to me; the LORD delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. 19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him get away unharmed? May the LORD reward you well for the way you treated me today. 20 I know that you will surely be king and that the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hands. 21 Now swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family." 1 Sam 24:16-21

So why is he back pursuing David?

Look back at this verse:

22 So David gave his oath to Saul. Then Saul returned home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold. 1 Samuel 24:22

Notice David made an oath, but did Saul?

Saul's repentance was never deep, yeah, he confessed his sin, but he made no attempt to root it out of his heart.

I see this everyday in Christianity, we want our "get out of jail free" card but really have no desire to turn and go the other way. I watch, and you do too, as people accept His gift of grace and then go on living the same way they always have; there is no difference.

Maybe you've had the same conversation Saul did, but with God.

"Is that your voice, God?" And you wept aloud over your sin. "You are more righteous than I," you said. "You have treated me well, but I have treated you badly, I know I've sinned against you. I know of the good you did to me; I was delivered me into your hands, but you did not kill me. I have been your enemy. How do I get away unharmed? I can't believe the way you've treated me today. Giving me what I need, not what I deserve. I know that you must surely be king and that the whole kingdom is established in your hands. Now swear to me LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father's family?"

Have you been there?

You've been there, but you keep doing the same ol' things that get you in trouble. You just can't shake it; you're stuck in the same old habits, routines, rut.

Don't be Saul.

When you are stuck in a rut, the only way out is a hard right turn!

Truly repent and go a different direction.

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. John 14:6