Daily Lesson for July 19, 2017

Today's Daily Lesson comes from 1 Samuel chapter 20 verses 1 through 3:

David fled from Naioth in Ramah. He came before Jonathan and said, ‘What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin against your father that he is trying to take my life?’ 2He said to him, ‘Perish the thought! You shall not die. My father does nothing either great or small without disclosing it to me; and why should my father hide this from me? Never!’3But David also swore, ‘Your father knows well that you like me; and he thinks, “Do not let Jonathan know this, or he will be grieved.” But truly, as the Lord lives and as you yourself live, there is but a step between me and death.’

And Acts chapter 12 verses 18 through 22:

18 When morning came, there was no small commotion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 19When Herod had searched for him and could not find him, he examined the guards and ordered them to be put to death. Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20 Now Herod* was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him in a body; and after winning over Blastus, the king’s chamberlain, they asked for a reconciliation, because their country depended on the king’s country for food. 21On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat on the platform, and delivered a public address to them. 22The people kept shouting, ‘The voice of a god, and not of a mortal!’

One of the hard truths we have to learn about life is the fact that not everyone is rational. A certain percentage of people out there are psychologically paranoid, narcissistic, obsessive, and abusive. Some of these have even managed to make it into some pretty high and powerful places in life -- perhaps disproportionately so. Those around them spend a lot of time stroking, placating, containing, and trying to convince. But in the end, it's impossible to pacify crazy. As the old aphorism says, "You can't make friends with a crocodile."

Jonathan thought he could control his father. But David knew Jonathan's father was out of control. And in the end that's what saved David's life.

If any have ears to hear, let them hear.