“David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.”–1 Sam. 18:14
I fear we do not understand what a great thing this was. Many of us succeed in one area and fail miserably in another– or many others. Yet here was a man who, at least at that time in his life, walked wisely “in all his ways”. And I might add that he faced temptations far greater than most of us. Considering what he had accomplished it would have easy to fail the test, yet he “behaved himself wisely”. I so wish the same could be said of me. But I am forced to face the fact that for every success in my life I have ten failures. Oh how I wish it could be “in all” my “ways”.
John Henry Jowett made this interesting observation, “The hour of victory is a more severe moral test than the hour of defeat. Many a man can brave the perils of adversity who succumbs to the seductions of prosperity. He can stand the cold better than the heat! He is enriched by failure, but “spoilt by success.” To test the real quality of a man, let us regard him just when he has slain Goliath! “David behaved himself wisely”!
He was not “eaten up with pride.” He developed no “side.” He went among his friends as though no Goliath had ever crossed his way. He was not for ever recounting the triumph, and fishing for the compliments of his audience. He “behaved wisely.” So many of us tarnish our victories by the manner in which we display them. We put them into the shop-window, and they become “soiled goods.”
And in this hour of triumph David made a noble friend. In his noonday he found Jonathan, and their hearts were knit to each other in deep and intimate love. It is beautiful when our victories are so nobly borne that they introduce us into higher fellowships, and the friends of heaven become our friends.”
