23RD FEBRUARY
1 Samuel 16:18
One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skilful in playing, a man of valour, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence, and the Lord is with him.”
Be careful of how you live your life behind closed doors.
Reading today’s verse, you would say that David’s résumé is pretty impressive. Not bad for a teenager. Not bad for a country boy. Not bad for a shepherd. Saul asks for someone who is skilful in playing. There are no doubt plenty of people who play the harp well in Israel, who would love to play for the king and would drop everything in seconds to be given such an opportunity. The question is: How come David’s name pops up first?
I want you to notice something here. David was being watched. Someone was listening to his music. He may have thought he was alone, but no, somebody was watching. So often we think nobody is watching us but that isn’t true. People are paying attention, even when we don’t realise it.
In Philippians 2:14-15, Paul challenges the church to be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation. Why is it important to live a blameless and innocent life? Because people are watching our lives and 100% of the time, actions speak louder than words.
MAKE IT PERSONAL:
What are 3 things you are doing well to ensure that you live a life of integrity and 3 things that hinder you from living a life of integrity?