Introduction: The Song That Started a War

Imagine the scene with me. The war is over. The soldiers are coming home. There’s music in the streets, tambourines shaking, people laughing, kids running beside the procession. And leading the way is David, the shepherd boy who stepped up when no one else would. Goliath is dead. Israel is safe. The people are singing, “Saul has struck down his thousands, and David his ten thousands.”

It’s just a song. Just a way of saying thank you. But for Saul, it lands differently. For him, the music doesn’t sound like praise. It sounds like a threat. That one line echoes in his ears. His heart tightens. His eyes darken. That song becomes the starting point of something tragic. It opens the door to fear, to jealousy, to a slow unraveling of his soul.

You’ve probably felt something like that. Maybe not after a battle, but maybe you’ve seen someone else celebrated. Their promotion at work. Their seemingly perfect family. Their good fortune. And something inside you flinched. Not because you hate them, but because, for a second, it felt like their gain was your loss.

That’s what happened to Saul. And it’s a story that still plays out in our lives today. The real question before us this morning is this: When your heart is tested, by comparison, by loss, or by waiting, what will it reveal?

The Heart of Saul

This morning we will examine three hearts: the heart of Saul, the heart of Jonathan, and the heart of David. Let’s begin by taking a closer look at King Saul. He starts his journey with such promise. He was chosen by God, anointed by Samuel, and empowered by the Holy Spirit. He was tall, strong, and charismatic, everything Israel thought a king should be. But as David enters the scene and begins to rise in the people’s admiration, Saul’s true heart is revealed.

Listen to the turning point: “Saul was very angry, and this saying displeased him. He said, ‘They have ascribed to David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed thousands. What more can he have but the kingdom?’ And Saul eyed David from that day on” (1 Samuel 18:8-9, ESV).

Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever felt like your hard work was going unseen and unappreciated while others were sweeping in and getting all the glory? That is the moment Saul was in. But instead of turning to God with his hurt, Saul turned against David with suspicion.

The following day, Scripture tells us that “a harmful spirit from God rushed upon Saul” (1 Samuel 18:10, ESV). It is a mysterious and troubling moment. But what’s clear is this: Saul had opened the door to darkness through pride and disobedience. David tried to help, playing music to soothe him, just like before. But Saul had a spear in his hand, and he hurled it at David. Not once, but twice. David escaped the spear of Saul, but Saul’s heart did not escape the spear of jealousy.

And the spiral continued. Saul offered his daughters in marriage to David, hoping to entangle him in a political alliance. He sent David on deadly missions, hoping the Philistines would do what he could not. But every time, “David had success in all his undertakings, for the Lord was with him” (1 Samuel 18:14, ESV).

Now here’s where it becomes real for us. Saul’s issue wasn’t just with David. His issue was with God. Saul wasn’t ignorant of God’s will. He was resisting it. And that’s where the real danger lies. It is possible to know what God is doing and still choose jealousy over joy, control over surrender, and fear over faith.

Saul’s life is a warning to all of us. You can have a calling, a position, even an anointing, and still fall if your heart won’t yield to God. The enemy didn’t destroy Saul. His own fear and pride did. And it began the day he stopped celebrating others and started comparing himself to them.

So let’s be honest with ourselves. Are there places in your life where you feel unsettled when someone else is celebrated? Perhaps your church has changed. A new leader, a different direction, a shift in what is valued. What once felt like your place now feels unfamiliar. Maybe you’ve given years of service, week after week, faithfully showing up and pouring yourself out. Then someone newer is recognized, thanked from the front, while your work goes unseen. Maybe you gave your best, stayed late, hoped to be noticed. But when the promotion or praise came, it went to someone else. In those moments, if our hearts are craving praise from people, we begin to feel what Saul felt.

Saul's downfall began the moment he started living for applause instead of obedience. He was more concerned with his name than with God's name. Paul warns us in Galatians 1:10, "If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ." Saul chose the praise of people over the pleasure of God, and that choice began to unravel him from the inside out.

That craving led him into fear, jealousy, and eventually destruction. Scripture puts it plainly in Proverbs 14:30: "A tranquil heart gives life to the flesh, but envy makes the bones rot." Saul’s heart was not at peace. It was restless with resentment and corrosion.

And when that kind of jealousy takes root, it grows fast and wild. James describes it like this in James 3:14–16: “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth… For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice.” That is exactly what we see in Saul’s life. Disorder. Fear. Attempted murder. Spiritual confusion. What began with one jealous glance became a lifelong obsession.

But we do not need of follow in the footsteps of King Saul. We belong to a different King. When we fix our eyes on Jesus and make it our joy to serve Him, we find a better path. He directs our steps. He knows the times we live in, the gifts we carry, the roles we play. And when we trust Him with our story, we do not need the spotlight to feel secure.

So if you feel that pull toward resentment or comparison, ask the Lord to help you let go. Confess it. Surrender it. And let His Spirit renew your heart. Because true peace comes not from being praised, but from knowing you are walking in obedience to the One who sees all.

The Heart of Jonathan

Now let’s shift our focus from Saul to Jonathan. If anyone had a reason to see David as a rival, it was Jonathan. He was the crown prince of Israel, the next in line for the throne. His future had been mapped out since he was a boy. By all human logic, David was a threat to everything Jonathan had been born to inherit.

And yet, something beautiful happens.

“As soon as he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul” (1 Samuel 18:1, ESV).

This was a deep, spiritual bond. Jonathan saw something in David that resonated with his spirit. He recognized that God was with this young shepherd, and instead of fighting it, he embraced it.

Scripture tells us, “Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt” (1 Samuel 18:3–4, ESV).

This is far more than a gift exchange. Jonathan is laying down his royal symbols, acknowledging David as the one God had chosen. He is not clinging to his title or his future. He is surrendering it. That is covenant love and humility.

And it is not a one-time gesture. Jonathan’s loyalty is tested again and again. When Saul commands his son to kill David, Jonathan speaks up with courage: “Let not the king sin against his servant David, because he has not sinned against you, and because his deeds have brought good to you” (1 Samuel 19:4, ESV).

He reminds his father that David has only served him well. But Saul’s anger is not easily calmed. When the tension escalates in chapter 20, Jonathan and David devise a plan to uncover Saul’s true intentions. The results are explosive.

“Then Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said to him, ‘You son of a perverse, rebellious woman, do I not know that you have chosen the son of Jesse to your own shame?’ Then Saul hurled his spear at him to strike him” (1 Samuel 20:30, 33, ESV).

Imagine that moment. Jonathan is not only rejecting the throne for David’s sake, but now he is risking his very life. He chooses covenant over comfort. He chooses righteousness over personal gain. And in doing so, he gives us a glimpse of Jesus.

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:6 that Christ, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped.” That is what Jonathan models. He lays aside privilege to embrace God’s plan.

Jonathan reminds us that true greatness is not measured by what we hold onto, but by what we are willing to give up for the sake of others and for the will of God.He took off his royal robe, not knowing if he would ever wear it again, and placed it on David's shoulders. And in that moment, Jonathan foreshadowed the One who left the glory of heaven to walk the road to the cross.

Are we willing to celebrate someone else's calling, even when it costs us something? Can we lay down our titles, our ambitions, and our preferences in order to lift up God's purpose? That kind of humility is Christlike.  

The throne Jonathan gave up was temporary. The joy he gained was eternal. May we, like him, choose covenant instead of comfort, surrender instead of self. Because in the kingdom of God, those who give away the most often reflect Him the clearest.

The Heart of David

Now we come to David. Unlike Saul, who grasped, and Jonathan, who surrendered, David chooses to trust. He has been anointed by Samuel, chosen by God to be the next king. The promise is real, but the pathway is anything but easy.

Instead of walking into a palace, David runs for his life. Saul’s jealousy has become rage. His heart has hardened, and he now sees David as a threat that must be eliminated.

One night, Saul sends men to David’s house to kill him. But God is already providing a way of escape. “So Michal let David down through the window, and he fled away and escaped” (1 Samuel 19:12, ESV). Michal, David’s wife and Saul’s daughter, deceives the messengers to buy David more time.

David flees to Ramah to find the prophet Samuel. It must have been comforting to be near someone who had first spoken God’s promise over him. But even there, safety does not last. Saul sends messengers after him three times. Each time, the Spirit of God intervenes, causing the men to prophesy instead of arrest. Finally, Saul himself goes, and the same thing happens. “And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, ‘Is Saul also among the prophets?’” (1 Samuel 19:23–24, ESV).

This scene is full of irony. The man who came with violence ends up laid bare before God, powerless to stop the plan he is trying to resist. Saul cannot touch David because God is protecting him.

But what is most remarkable is David’s response. He does not turn this into an opportunity for revenge. He does not use this moment to claim the throne. He waits. He continues to trust.

In chapter 20, when it becomes clear that Saul is still intent on killing David, the two friends share one of the most emotional farewells in all of Scripture. “Then Jonathan said to David, ‘Go in peace, because we have sworn both of us in the name of the Lord, saying, The Lord shall be between me and you, and between my offspring and your offspring, forever’” (1 Samuel 20:42, ESV). 

David is losing his home, his position, and even the presence of his closest friend. But he is not losing his faith and his heart is not bitter. He chooses to wait on God. That is what defines David in this season, he trusts the Lord to bring it about in His time and in His way. 

And that is a word for us. Sometimes God gives us a promise, but the path to fulfillment is long and painful. Sometimes obedience feels like loss. Sometimes waiting feels like wasting. But in those moments, God is shaping us. He is forming character. He is building trust.

David teaches us what it means to be anointed but in exile, promised but not yet placed. He does not grasp like Saul. He does not rush ahead. He waits. He walks the long, painful road of trust. That is faith.

So we must ask: Are we willing to trust God not just with the promise, but with the process? Will we keep believing when doors close, when friends leave, when comfort disappears? Will we trust that God is working, even when we are waiting?

David’s restraint points us to Jesus, who also chose the path of surrender. He waited on His Father. He laid down His rights. And in the end, He was exalted. 

May we follow in their footsteps. Not by seizing what looks within reach, but by resting in the hand of God. Not by forcing outcomes, but by trusting the One who sees the end from the beginning. Because the God who makes the promise will also lead us through the process. And He will be faithful every step of the way.

Conclusion: Which Heart Is Yours?

Three hearts. One sovereign plan. Saul shows us the destruction that follows when we try to grasp what God has given away. Jonathan shows us the beauty of surrender and covenant love. David shows us the strength of quiet trust in God’s timing. And Jesus, the true Son of David, shows us the ultimate model. He laid aside His glory, became a servant, and gave Himself for us (Philippians 2:7-8).

So we must ask: When God blesses someone else, do we envy or rejoice? When God's plan delays our own, do we scheme or submit? When we see God at work in someone else, do we support or resist?

Pray today for a heart like Jonathan’s and David’s. A heart that loves covenantally and trusts completely. Ask God to remove the fear of Saul, the pride that grasps, and to give you the peace that waits.

Jesus invites us to follow Him. Not with clenched fists, but with open hands. Will you follow? Which heart will you choose? Will you be Saul, grasping? Will you be Jonathan, giving? Will you be David, trusting? More importantly: will you be like Christ?

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