"How Much? What's It Worth?"

Scripture Passage

1 Samuel 26-27:7; 1 Chronicles 12:1-7;

1 Samuel 27:8-29:11; 1 Chronicles 12:19; Psalm 56

Scripture Focus

Now may the LORD value my life, even as I have valued yours today. (1 Samuel 26:24 NLT)

Observation

Let’s face it—stuff basically has whatever value we assign to it.

I have a personal appreciation for a certain vintage automobile—rear-engined, air-cooled, American made—and when I say “personal appreciation” I mean it, because my love of the Chevrolet Corvair is not shared by all that many others! Because of that, instead of the hundreds of thousands of dollars required to own some collectable automobiles, a Corvair can be enjoyed for a minimal investment. It’s all about “assigned values”…and it’s my pleasure to benefit from the lack of value assigned by others to one of my favorite cars!

But there’s one place everybody loses when values are erroneously assigned—it’s in the arena of human life. That’s true in a general sense when people debate the abortion issue or “quality of life” issues for the elderly, infirmed, or disabled—and it’s true in a personal sense whenever I’m inclined to “write someone off” as less important than me, or unimportant altogether.

Somehow David understood that. Though Saul sought his life, and though David had opportunities that even seemed to be divinely given to take Saul’s life and protect his own…somehow David understood that this “giving life, taking life” business was the Lord’s arena and not his own. Somehow David understood that it was not his place to devalue another and exalt himself, and that the Lord could take care of that in his own way.

I suppose, today, that’s simply something I want to be aware of. There’s not a whole lot about my own life I need to orchestrate if my life really is not my own. That doesn’t mean I don’t need to plan, to work, to engage, to serve—but it does liberate me from trying to “scramble to the top of every battle” somehow. When I can place God’s value on not just those I’m inclined to devalue, but even those who might be inclined to devalue me—then I can more easily trust God as One who values my life, and the One who can direct my steps in His plan as a result.