Saul and his army were chasing David and his band of men so that the rejected king of Israel could rid himself of who he considered his arch nemesis. But then, in a moment when the tables were turned and the two ended up in the same cave, David could have been the only one to walk out alive. But he refused to lift his hand against Saul. No matter how Saul was treating him, he was God’s chosen man. For David to turn on Saul would require David to turn on God. And that, he would not do. No matter the risk.

Saul had done nothing to deserve David’s mercy and respect. He was a failed leader. He was rejected by God. He was plagued by an evil spirit and progressively growing paranoid. And yet, David understood that it was not a matter of who Saul was or what he had or had not done; it was a matter of what God had declared about Saul. We would be wise to remember this. There will be times when we disagree with others – even leaders over us – and many of those times, our points of disagreement will be valid. But we can never forget our need to extend grace and mercy to others in the same way God has extended it to us.

How can you support and encourage those in leadership positions over you?