When Your Motive Is Misjudged

- 1 Samuel 17:17-30

INTRODUCTION

Our passage concerns a time when Israel and the Philistines were in the midst of a heated battle. David was not old enough to be a member of the army of Israel, but his father (Jesse) sent him to take some food to his brothers. When David arrived, he heard the blasphemous words of Goliath and began enquiring what would happen to the man who killed him. When David’s oldest brother heard David, he began to accuse him of being full of pride and coming to see the battle out of the naughtiness of his heart. The Bible points out that this was not David’s heart intention. David was there at the request of his father to bring food to his brothers. In the end, David did not allow this accusation to keep him from doing what he knew to be right.

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For children): Satan misjudged Job's motives in serving God. When Satan took Job's possessions and health, Job proved he truly loved God (Job 1:9-11 , 20-22; Job 2:4-10 ). Jesus was misjudged for keeping bad company, but He was not doing it to have a good time (Luke 5:29-32 ; Luke 19:1-10 ).
• (For everyone): Have you ever had someone misjudge the nature of your motives in your service to God? Did you allow that to keep you from doing right the next time?
• What are your motives for serving God? If your motives are pure, why worry about how others judge those motives?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask God to help you do right regardless of false perceptions.
• Thank God for the opportunity to do something for Him.