Forgetting who the real enemy is...

But when Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David, and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him, Saul was even more afraid of David. So Saul was David's enemy continually. Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed. (1 Samuel 18:28-30 ESV) David's popularity was on the rise. No one was a distant second, not even Saul. No matter what Saul did to curb or stop it, everyone loved him. Why did Saul throw spears at him and put him on the front line to have him killed in battle? He was afraid of David's popularity and how that might affect him. He was afraid of losing the power, prestige and personal approval he had once had, though in reality that was already gone. He forgot who the real enemy was: the Philistines and the powers of evil working on him. By viewing David as the enemy(who really was not), he made himself the enemy of David, and therefore of God. Fear, jealousy, hatred and the thoughts, words and actions they lead to, all make us the enemy of God's plan, and even of ourselves. May we learn much from Saul's responses and reactions so we can recognize who the real enemy is, and not become one ourselves.