When Grace Looks Like Restraint: 1 Samuel 24:

David had the upper hand. He could’ve taken matters into his own hands. He was already anointed. He knew what God had spoken. But he didn’t force it. He showed grace. He extended mercy. He spared Saul.

“So David restrained his servants with these words, and did not allow them to rise against Saul. And Saul got up from the cave and went on his way. So it was, when David had finished speaking these words to Saul, that Saul said, “Is this your voice, my son David?” And Saul lifted up his voice and wept. Then he said to David: “You are more righteous than I; for you have rewarded me with good, whereas I have rewarded you with evil. For if a man finds his enemy, will he let him get away safely? Therefore may the Lord reward you with good for what you have done to me this day. And now I know indeed that you shall surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in your hand.” 1 Samuel 24:7, 16–17, 19–20 NKJV

There are days where I feel like I’m just surviving the emotional weight of all the dynamics in my world. When I read this chapter today—David showing restraint in a moment where he could have defended himself or proven a point—I can't help but wonder, do I feel convicted or ultimately

protected?

I’ve had moments in my own life where I wondered, Why didn’t that door open? Why didn’t justice come quicker? Why didn’t I get a chance to prove I was right? But what if I wasn’t being withheld from… what if I was being protected? What if I wasn’t placed in that position yet because I wasn’t ready to carry it the way God intended?

There’ve been way too many times I’ve been more focused on what I deserve or how something affects me, instead of asking, “Lord, how do You want me to show up in this?”

What stands out to me is that Saul wept. David’s mercy touched something deeper than logic—it reached his heart.

We truly don’t know what people are walking through physically, spiritually, emotionally. But we do know what we’re walking through. And if we want to receive grace, we have to be willing to extend it. Not blindly. Not without boundaries. But with a heart that’s surrendered.

Maybe the strength isn’t in rising up—it’s in holding back.