How To Overcome A Jealous Spirit

It wasn’t long after that that Saul tried to take David’s life. Twice he hurled spears at David’s head. He sent men to David’s house to kill him, and a little while later, he began to hunt David down to destroy him. Saul was so jealous of David that he forgot about everything else. He used his children, he neglected his kingdom, and eventually he lost his mind behind his jealousy of David.

But I want you to note that, through it all, David was all right; David was able to overcome. And if you want to how, the Bible gives us the reasons in the fourteenth verse.

First of all, David was able to overcome jealousy because David showed wisdom and strong discipline. The scripture says that, in all things David, behaved himself wisely.

My friends, you don’t have to answer every unkind thing that’s said about you; you don’t have to respond to every mean thing that is done to you. But sometimes the wisest thing that you can do is to just keep on keeping on. David knew that he had not done anything to Saul. In fact, David had done all that he could to be the most loyal servant that he could to Saul. But even when Saul turned against him, even when Saul tried his best to destroy him, David made up his mind that he was going to do the right thing.

Church, there’s something to be said for wise behavior. Wisdom has its rewards, not just in eternity, but in the here and now. When you show wisdom and discipline then even when folk don’t like you, they have to respect you. David didn’t set out to win anyone’s favor, but the more wisdom and discipline he showed, the more he just tried to do the right thing, the more the people fell in love with him.

And then, the most important thing to help David overcome Saul’s jealousy was that the Lord was with David. If you read the scripture, you will see that Saul realized he was not only fighting David, but he was fighting God. Saul knew that God had laid His hands on David, and that to fight David was, indeed, to fight God. But Saul continued to try to destroy David anyhow. But through it all, God kept David safe, and in His own time, God gave David the victory.

As I move toward a close today Church, you can successfully deal with jealousy if you just remember that God is with you. No matter how people plot against you, no matter how folk may plan your down-fall, if God has His hands on you, no power can destroy you; if God has His hands on you, you will be victorious. You can’t stop God’s program; no matter how you try, God’s will will be done. And when folk come against you, if you’re in the Lord’s hands, in His own time, and in His own way, He will give you the victory.

I heard this same David say, in the 37th Psalm, “Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away. [But you just] trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.”