We have at last moved into 1 Samuel 20. I am going to leave you to read through the chapter for yourselves to get the full picture as I am only going to focus on one verse.

The story begins in Naioth in Ramah (it was probably where the community of prophets lived and was a small group of dwellings). It will end in Gath, with the Philistines, the birthplace of Goliath. I bet David never thought he would end up there! The chapter covers his four day visit with his friend Jonathan. But this verse leaps out for me.

Then David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, “What have I done? What is my guilt? And what is my sin before your father, that he seeks my life?”  1 Samuel 20:1

David is desperate to get out of his situation. He is overtaken by real fears and consumed with doubts. His cry of injustice is the cry of many in every age. This is not fair. Have you not said that many times?

There are loads of things that happen in life that are unfair. People treat us unfairly, and we do the same to others. It’s not right and certainly isn’t ideal, but it’s part of living in a fallen world, and it stinks. But if we let it dominate our thinking it will lead to bitterness and an unhealthy understanding of God.  Is what’s happening fair? No, according to our understanding.

It’s natural for us to say that something is not fair when another person treats us unjustly, or someone gains an advantage even though they have not played by the rules. But, with God, it doesn’t work this way. Unlike people, God is at his core just. He is also good, holy, and unchanging. This means that he never does anything wrong, is always good, perfectly moral, and will never change. By definition, God will always be fair. At the same time, he is gracious. He gives people what they don’t deserve. Life itself is a gift. Salvation from sin is because of his grace. When we are thinking biblically, we can never say God himself and his dealings are unfair.

Like Job, we might be tempted to question the fairness of God.

We must remember that God’s sovereignty, wisdom, and love are not limited to the things in our life that we consider good. The doctrine of God’s providence teaches us that God upholds and governs all things by his fatherly hand. Nothing comes to pass apart from his sanction. Therefore, even the things we might be slow to embrace as good are working together for his glory and our good.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

Joseph was beaten and sold into slavery by his brothers. He endured the sexual advances of his boss’s wife, and was thrown into prison after she made false accusations against him. He lingered in prison for years before he was released and brought in to counsel Pharaoh himself. He was given a position of leadership in which the Lord used him to spare Egypt and countless surrounding communities including his own family from famine. At the end of his story, as he reconciles with the brothers who kick-started all his suffering, he acknowledges God’s sovereign hand working through it: 

As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive Genesis 50:20

I am believing that good, much good will come from these days of change and challenge.