2009 – Day 114.Apr. 25 – A Teachable Spirit

2009 – Day 114.Apr. 25 – A Teachable Spirit

Passage of the Day: 1st Samuel 18: 5 - 16 … Linked for study to passage …

My Journal for Today: Today’s passage and Swindoll’s devotional presents an interesting and pertinent character study into another interaction and comparison between Saul, the king, and David, the king-to-be. And the focus verse for this study is found in verse 14 of 1st Sam. 18, which in the NKJV says, And David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.

You’ll note that I underlined the phrase “behaved wisely,” which has differing translations in our scholarly Bibles. It is the Hebrew word “sakai,” which is one of those Hebrew expressions which can take on different colors depending on the circumstances. And the focus of this study is on this Hebrew term, which was attributed to David.

In the NASB, the sentence from 1st Sam. 18: 14 reads thusly, David was prospering in all his way, for the LORD was with him. In the NIV, it reads, In everything he did he had great success, because the LORD was with him. If you read down through 1st Samuel 18 you see that term “sakai” is used four separate times to describe David’s persistent wisdom and/or his spiritual success, given the task of leading Saul’s armies into battle. And we also read the reaction it provoked from Saul, which was rage and jealousy, even to the point of throwing a spear at David in attempted murder.

But David’s character through all of this, even being attacked by Saul, remained quietly teachable and remarkably loyal to his king. David was consistently and persistently “sakai” because he had the Lord’s Spirit upon him. And Swindoll points to a study of the word “sakai” in Proverbs (see Prov. 10: 19 and Prov. 21: 11) that one who exhibits “sakai” is one who generally keeps his mouth shut and one who intentionally grows in “teachability.”

David was still young; but he was learning what to be and what not to be as king from observing Saul; and God was giving David the enabling grace to learn and grow in this quiet, but powerful, quality of teachability. I truly hope that I never lose my drive to be what the Hebrews call “sakai” before my God. And I see, from today’s study, just how much God wants me grow into Christlikeness, Who, of course, was our super model of “sakai,” the One who grew and became the likeness of His Heavenly Father, Jehovah, on earth.

My Prayer for Today: Lord, help me to be teachable and to grow to be “sakai” in Your presence. Amen