Friday, July 30, 2010

Young Eyes turned Bitter

Michal, her story is told through 1 Samuel 14 - 2 Samuel 6. Michal was King Saul's daughter and like all the other young girls of that time, her heart was taken by David. For her, David was dangerous, attractive, strong, and courageous. When she saw him her heart would go wild with anticipation for the moment. Her passion was driven by watching David and all of his victories. She was young and the excitement that she felt for him was wild with anticipation and ecstasy. But, like so many young girls who are only looking at the man, her passion soon turned to disgust and bitterness. She had the man that every woman of her day would die to have the attention of, but because she did not see him through the eyes of his God, she loathed him.

Many women say that they would feel different about their husbands if their husband would just seek Christ more. Really? David was a man after God's own heart, but Michal did not see him that way. David was in deep celebration to his God and in his excitement he danced before his Lord. 2 Samuel 6:16, "As the ark of the LORD was entering the City of David, Michal daughter of Saul watched from a window. And when she saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD, she despised him in her heart."

What could have been different for Michal? Who was her heart really turned towards? When the excitement of the moment had passed and she knew David in her daily married life, who was she supposed to turn to then when her passions had subsided.

As women we have all been there. When we are young, we are attracted to the excitement that young guy brings into our life. Our heart pounds when he is with us and we are so enamored by him that we can hardly take our eyes off of him, but then the enchantment wears off and daily life brings us to a state of contempt for the one that we used to hold in such high esteem. I know, for I have been that woman. I had a husband that brought that excitement into my life. I would like to say that it was because he was not seeking Christ in his life, that is why we got a divorce. I cannot live like that. I must take responsibility for my own sins in the marriage. Otherwise, it would be too easy for me to be that bitter, broken divorced woman we all know. David was seeking God, but it was Michal who hated him. It was because she was not seeking God that she had contempt for him. I was not seeking God. That is why my marriage fell apart. My seeking God may not have changed my ex husband, but my eyes would have been on my Lord and it would have allowed me to look at him through His eyes, instead of my own.

Oswald Chambers, "'Jesus did not commit Himself to them..., for He knew what was in man.' (John 2:24-25). Disillusionment means having no more misconceptions, false impressions, and false judgments in life; it means being free from these deceptions. However, though no longer deceived, our experience of disillusionment may actually leave us cynical and overly critical in our judgment of others. But the disillusionment that comes from God brings us to the point where we see people as they really are, yet without any cynicism or any stinging and bitter criticism. Many of the things in life that inflict the greatest injury, grief, or pain, stem from the fact that we suffer from illusions. We are not true to one another as facts, seeing each other as we really are; we are only true to our misconceived ideas of one another. According to our thinking, everything is either delightful and good, or it is evil, malicious, and cowardly.

Refusing to be disillusioned is the cause of much of the suffering of human life. And this is how that suffering happens— if we love someone, but do not love God, we demand total perfection and righteousness from that person, and when we do not get it we become cruel and vindictive; yet we are demanding of a human being something which he or she cannot possibly give. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy to the absolute depth of the hurting human heart, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord is so obviously uncompromising with regard to every human relationship because He knows that every relationship that is not based on faithfulness to Himself will end in disaster. Our Lord trusted no one, and never placed His faith in people, yet He was never suspicious or bitter. Our Lord’s confidence in God, and in what God’s grace could do for anyone, was so perfect that He never despaired, never giving up hope for any person. If our trust is placed in human beings, we will end up despairing of everyone."

I have a good husband now. It is when I take my eyes off of Christ, and only focus on my husband, that I can feel contempt rising in my heart. Who are you placing your trust in today? Who has our focus?

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