After reading the chapter in Miller's book I picked up where I had left off in 1 Sammuel about the life of David. I read two stories. The first was about David and Nabal. This is where David cares for Nabal's flocks only to be insulted and rejected by him. The next story was about the second time David had a chance to kill King Saul. Here was the man that had made David's life a living hell laying asleep before him. Rather than kill him David spared his life saying, "Don't kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord's annointed one?"
If anyone had a reason to be cynical it would be David. Here was a man annoited as king, and for seven years he was chased and treated like a criminal by Saul and others. Yet even in through all of these struggles he never lost his heart for God. He was honest about how he felt, but he always came back to honoring God. David was not a cynic.
David seemed to have a bigger picture in mind. Rather than allowing suffering to drive him to cynicism; he was more concerned with who God was and what he was doing. Even when he had a chance to kill Saul he spared him and believed that someday God would make good on his promises.
Cynicism is a temptating place to which we can retreat. Having been there I can say that it is a lonely place that drains the soul. It is a place where the heart refuses to risk, and forgets the larger story God is telling. It's a place where we become more focused on disappointment instead of the holiness God is producing through trials.
I hope to stay out of that place with the help of God and others.
