Do you do good to others to get good from others? 1 Samuel 26-31

1 Samuel 26:24 (NASBStr)

Now behold, as your life was highly valued in my sight this day, so may my life be highly valued in the sight of the Lord, and may He deliver me from all distress.”

David, in the above passage, has just resisted, for a second time, to kill Saul, even though the circumstances were set that he might do so.   God had once again given David a chance by circumstances and public approval to kill Saul.  But David, like Daniel, was not governed by circumstances.  He was governed by the principles of God's Word.   The men around David believed it was an opportunity presented by God.  David believed God's Word trumped even the most favored circumstance.   As a result he has a conversation with Saul and pleads for his life.   What would we have said?  What would we have bargained for in light of the mercy we just showed Saull?   We would have struct a deal with Saul.   But, David isn't like us, or most men.  He is a Godly man.   He doesn't say, "Now that I have showed you favor 'you' should show me favor."    Instead he says, "Now that I have showed you favor may 'God' show me favor.   David knew that it was God who would change and direct his life.    David is the perfect example of Romans 12 were Paul instructs the Romans Christians to not seek revenge but to trust God and do good to their enemies.   We sometimes get caught doing good to others for the hope they will do good to us.   That is a normal human spirit.   But, the person of faith, who is walking in the Spirit, does good to others and, by faith, waits for God to direct them and honor them.   Note in the above verses that David prays, "may He deliver me from all distress."   David knew that obedience didn't guarantee blessing, only that obedience, by faith, would allow God show even more grace and bless him.   That was his hope in Christ.   He believed that by honoring God through honoring God's anointed, he would be highly valued in God's sight and God would deliver him from the distress of running from Saul.  Doing things the right way doesn't simply eliminate the distress we find ourselves in with others.  It does, however, put us in great favor with God.