Don’t Become What Hurt You | The Life of David | Tyler Padgitt

Devotional

Day 1: Cave of Broken Hymns

David crouched in Adullam’s shadows, his harp calloused from psalms sung to Saul. Now 400 desperate men echoed in the cavern – debtors, outcasts, bitter souls. His fingers traced the cave wall as he penned, “In the shadow of Your wings I take refuge” while staring at Elah’s distant valley where Goliath fell. The anointed king wrote anthems in a homeless shelter. [30:12]

God doesn’t rescue us from caves; He resurrects us in them. David’s psalms proved trust isn’t measured by crowds but by cracks in stone where only God hears. The cave stripped titles, applause, and control – leaving raw dependence.

Your cave might be a silent phone, a hospital chair, or a demotion at work. What hymn will you write there? When you last tasted victory yet now taste dust, what true thing about God still holds?

“David left Gath and escaped to the cave of Adullam… All those who were in distress or in debt or discontented gathered around him, and he became their commander.”
(1 Samuel 22:1, NIV)

Prayer: Ask God to show you one person in your “cave” who needs the hope you’ve gained through hardship.

Challenge: Write three honest sentences about your cave experience in a notes app or journal.

Day 2: Spears at the Banquet

Saul’s spear thudded into the wall as David dodged, the lyre still warm in his hands. Twice the king tried to pin his musician like a trophy. David left the palace empty-handed – no revenge plot, no leaked scrolls about Saul’s instability. He walked away from father figures and inheritance to protect God’s anointed… even when that anointed was broken. [35:36]

Retaliation feels righteous but forges smaller souls. David’s restraint proved his kingship more than any crown. Every spear thrown at you tests whether you’ll become what wounded you.

You’ve felt the spear’s whistle – the betrayal, the slander, the unfair critique. What unfinished business with your “Saul” still tempts you to pick up weapons?

“The next day a tormenting spirit… overwhelmed Saul, and he began to rave. Saul had a spear in his hand, and he hurled it at David. But David escaped him twice.”
(1 Samuel 18:10-11, NLT)

Prayer: Confess one resentment you’ve carried against an authority figure.

Challenge: Delete or burn one old message/letter that fuels bitterness.

Day 3: Throne of Tears

David stumbled barefoot up the Mount of Olives, robes torn, as Absalom’s coup echoed behind him. The king who dodged spears now wept publicly over his son’s betrayal. When Shimei cursed and threw stones, David whispered, “Let him curse… perhaps the LORD will see my distress.” The throne hadn’t hardened him – it hollowed him for grace. [47:10]

True power isn’t keeping crowns but surrendering rights. David’s tears watered the soil where Christ would later pray, “Not my will.”

What throne have you clutched – reputation, control, vindication – that God asks you to walk away from? When did you last weep over someone who wounded you?

“David continued up the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went. His head was covered and his feet were bare as a sign of mourning.”
(2 Samuel 15:30, NLT)

Prayer: Thank God for a specific wound that deepened your capacity to love.

Challenge: Perform one act of kindness today for someone who’s opposed you.

Day 4: Unthrown Spears

Saul relieved himself in the cave where David hid. “Kill him!” urged 400 voices. David crept forward – and cut only the king’s robe hem. Later, he shouted across valleys to return Saul’s spear, crying, “Why do you hunt me? I’m just a flea!” Mercy outran vengeance. [38:01]

God judges Saul; David’s job was to honor. Every unthrown spear enlarges your heart for greater assignments.

You’ve held someone’s reputation, career, or weakness in your hands. What “robe hem” have you been tempted to cut for petty vindication?

“The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.”
(1 Samuel 24:6, NLT)

Prayer: Ask God to reveal one area where you’ve presumed to take His role as judge.

Challenge: Write a text/email affirming someone who’s misunderstood you.

Day 5: Broken Altars

David’s final psalm rasped from a cracked voice: “A broken and contrite heart You will not despise.” The cave, spears, and Absalom had shattered his self-sufficiency. God didn’t want David’s victories – He wanted David’s wounds. [52:38]

Suffering’s curriculum graduates those who stop hiding scars. Your brokenness qualifies you more than achievements.

What mask of strength have you worn that God asks you to lay down? When did your weakness last become someone else’s shelter?

“My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.”
(Psalm 51:17, NIV)

Prayer: Confess one area where you’ve valued appearing strong over being authentic.

Challenge: Share a personal struggle with a trusted friend this week.

Sermon Summary

David’s anointing sits on him, but the crown does not. That gap becomes God’s classroom. The cave of Adullam steps forward as the first desk in the school of suffering. The cave does what applause, titles, and victories cannot. It strips the scaffolding, leaves only a soul and its God, and pushes the question to the front of the line, Do you actually believe what you say you believe? From that dark hole David sings, “Be merciful to me,” and the cave answers back that God does not rescue from the cave, God meets in the cave. The cave was the plan. “Never trust a leader without a limp” sits like a proverb over this season, because skill can wear a crown, but only character can carry one.

The spear then enters like a pop quiz with a sharp point. Saul hurls it, David dodges, and the room goes still. What does a wounded anointed do with a spear? David refuses to become a spear chucker. He will not build an identity around the wound, and he will not avenge himself when he holds Saul’s life in his hand in the cave, or again in the camp. The line that governs his restraint is short and heavy. Vengeance belongs to God. The spear, paradoxically, becomes a gift, because it reveals the heart. Grab the promise before God gives it, and the grab itself exposes unbelief.

The throne finally arrives, but rest does not. Absalom smiles, flatters, steals hearts at the gate, then dishonors his father on a rooftop. The king walks barefoot out of Jerusalem, weeping. Shimei throws rocks and curses, and David will not answer curse with curse. He lets the sting sit before the Lord, says maybe God will see and repay good for this cursing. Power tempts sons of pain to become Sauls. David refuses. He takes the L, drops the spear, and keeps his heart.

God’s aim in all of it is not an easy life, but a formed life. The school of suffering produces a leader God can trust. The sacrifices God will not despise are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. The call lands clean. Do not waste the cave. Do not pick up the spear. Do not turn into Saul when the throne shakes. Love enemies, trust God to fight, and let a surrendered heart hold what a gifted hand cannot.

Key Takeaways

1. The cave is God’s plan The cave does not mean detour, it often is the very route God chose to shape a soul. When the crowd is gone and the lights are off, a person finally sees what actually holds them up. Cave time trades public momentum for hidden mercy, and that trade builds weight a crown can rest on. Don’t waste the cave. [32:11]
2. Drop the spear, trust God’s timing The spear tests what slogans cannot. Refusing to retaliate when the wound is fresh is not weakness, it is worship that says God can protect, promote, and vindicate. Seizing the promise by force empties the promise of God’s presence. Vengeance belongs to God, or it belongs to nobody. [42:41]
3. Throne days expose deeper loyalties Success does not cancel the curriculum, it intensifies it. Absalom’s charm and Shimei’s curses pull back the curtain on whether a heart will secure the future by control or surrender it to God. Letting God “look on my affliction” steadies a leader when public opinion whipsaws. The throne is safest in hands that can lose it. [48:10]
4. Refuse to become somebody’s Saul Power plus pain often breeds spear throwing, unless grace breaks the cycle. The holy stubbornness to say, “I refuse to be anybody’s Saul,” keeps authority clean and people safe. Taking the L is not passive, it is active trust in a Judge who sees. That refusal becomes the difference between a dynasty and a cautionary tale. [48:28]
5. Surrendered hearts carry lasting crowns God is not chasing the most polished gift but the most yielded spirit. A broken and contrite heart can hold what talent alone will crush. When ambition bows to obedience, leadership becomes sacrificial, not predatory. That is the kind of life God can entrust with much. [52:13]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[22:25] - Family business and vision
[24:33] - Growth milestone and serving call
[25:32] - The school of suffering begins
[26:11] - A Tale of Three Kings frame
[27:03] - What to do with a Saul
[27:57] - Four seasons in David’s formation
[28:24] - Season one: the cave of Adullam
[31:25] - Psalm 57 sung from the cave
[32:11] - The cave was the plan
[34:28] - Season two: the spear test
[36:33] - David refuses retaliation
[38:35] - Twice sparing Saul’s life
[42:41] - Vengeance belongs to God
[44:36] - Season three: the throne arrives
[45:29] - Absalom steals hearts at the gate
[46:37] - A king weeping, barefoot on the road
[47:31] - Shimei’s cursing and David’s response
[48:28] - Refusing to become a Saul
[50:30] - Obedience better than sacrifice
[52:38] - A broken and contrite heart
[53:17] - Love your enemies, not Goliaths
[54:47] - Prayer of surrender and salvation

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading
Psalm 51:17 (ESV)
"The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

1 Samuel 24:6 (ESV)
"He said to his men, 'The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.'"

2 Samuel 16:11-12 (ESV)
"David said to Abishai and all his servants, 'Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me, and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.'"

Observation Questions

What did David do in the cave of Adullam when he was hunted by Saul, and how did he respond to his circumstances? (Psalm 57:1; [31:25])
What two specific opportunities did David have to kill Saul, and how did he respond each time? (1 Samuel 24:6; [38:35])
How did David react when Shimei cursed him and threw rocks during his flight from Absalom? (2 Samuel 16:11-12; [48:10])

Interpretation Questions

Why do you think David refused to retaliate against Saul even when he had clear opportunities to kill him? What does this reveal about his view of God’s authority? ([42:41])
The sermon states, “The cave was the plan.” How does suffering or isolation (“cave seasons”) shape a person’s character in ways success or comfort cannot? ([32:11])
David’s response to Shimei’s cursing included the phrase, “It may be that the Lord will repay me with good.” What does this suggest about his understanding of God’s justice versus human retaliation?

Application Questions

What “cave” are you experiencing right now—a season of isolation, waiting, or hidden struggle? How might God be using this time to deepen your trust in Him rather than external validation? ([33:46])
When someone throws a “spear” at you (betrayal, criticism, injustice), what practical steps can you take to avoid retaliating or building your identity around the wound? ([43:55])
Have you ever been tempted to “become Saul”—using power or influence to protect yourself or punish others when threatened? What safeguards can you put in place to stay surrendered to God’s timing? ([48:28])
The sermon says, “A broken and contrite heart can hold what talent alone will crush.” Where do you need to exchange self-reliance for humility in your current responsibilities or relationships?
How can you actively “let God look on your affliction” (like David did) instead of trying to control outcomes when facing unfair treatment or public criticism? ([48:10])
What does it look like to “take the L” (accept loss or humiliation) in a situation where your pride or reputation feels threatened? How might this reflect trust in God’s justice? ([49:55])

Sermon Clips

38s

“He's hiding because people want to kill him. It's the king. The most powerful man in the land wants to destroy him. And here is what I want you to see about these moments in your life and in David's life. God did not rescue David from the cave. God met David in the cave. Amen. The cave of your life is not a detour from God's plan. The cave was the plan. And God was not preparing David for the throne. God was preparing David's soul for the throne. Never trust a leader without a limp.”

46s

“Have you been tempted to pick up spears? Have you thought that God forgot about you because you've been in a cave? Did you think all of your growth was over when you finally got a throne in your life? Have you ever been in a place where you completely forgot that God would be working on your character at all times. From the cave to spears to the crown to your last season of making the choice of not becoming a Saul, do not do not check out or drop out of the school of suffering because it forms your character so that God can use you for his glory.”

40s

“Because when he when he had a spear, he chose not to use it. And when he had opportunity, he didn't take it. And that makes all the difference. Why? Well, it's not because Saul deserved mercy, Saul deserved death. But it wasn't because Saul had been a good king, he wasn't a good king, but because David understood something, because his heart was after God that most of us miss and that is this, that vengeance belongs to God alone. Vengeance belongs to God. And the moment you grab hold of what God has promised you before God gives it to you, you've just revealed that you don't actually trust God to promote you and lift you.”

47s

“There is a blessing in what you've gone through. God is not absent from your difficult seasons, and you have a choice to make. What will you do? Will you have a heart that honors God and says, I trust God to take care of me? Or will you pick up the spear and say, I'm gonna get personal vengeance. I'm gonna prove that I was right after all. Let everybody know. We all have some repenting to do. We all have some questions to ask ourselves. We all have some tensions in our life that have tempted us to punish those that have done wrong. But the essence of Christianity is love your enemies.”

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Don’t Become What Hurt You | The Life of David | Tyler Padgitt | The Courageous Church