1 Samuel 20: For All Have Sinned and Fall Short...

"Jonathan answered his father back: 'Why is he to be killed?  What has he done?'  Then Saul threw his spear at Jonathan to kill him, so he knew that his father was determined to kill David."

1 Samuel 20:32-33

Jonathan didn't want to believe that his father (King Saul) was evil enough to have David killed, so they arranged a little test.  David hid in a field and Jonathan went to dinner.  When the king asked where David was, Jonathan said that he had given David permission to be with his family for a special sacrificial occasion.  At this point, the king became so irate that he slandered his own son with perverse language and even threw a spear at him for defending David's name.

Question of the Day:

Have you ever loved, trusted, or admired somebody so much that you refused to see the evil taking over their heart?  Have you ever seen a role model's horrible behavior revealed, and then wondered later why nobody had seen it all along?  How dreadful is it to see the people you look up to falling so completely?  Do you respond in kind, rejecting them and tearing their heart apart the way they did to yours, or do you respond with love and kindness, with an understanding that we all are sinners?

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, help me to forgive others the way that You forgive me.  Help me not to fall into the evil traps that so many role models fall into.  Hold me accountable so that I may shine Your love more brightly into the lives of my family, my coworkers, and all the children I teach.  Help me to be a beacon of light for all of the people who come into my life, whether on a regular basis or only for a fleeting moment.  Amen.