The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)
Day 117: Reverence and Faithfulness (2025)
Sun, 27 Apr 2025
Fr. Mike reveals how David exemplifies the virtues of reverence and faithfulness. David walks both as a man of faith and as a fallen son of God, but we continue to walk with him because we too are striving for a life with Christ. Today's readings are 1 Samuel 26 and Psalm 56. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.
Chapter 1: Who is Father Mike Schmitz and what is this podcast about?
Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension.
Chapter 2: What Bible passages are covered on Day 117?
Using the Great Adventure Bible timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 117. Congratulations for getting all this way. We're reading from 1 Samuel chapter 26, just one chapter in 1 Samuel today, as well as praying Psalm 56.
As always, the translation that I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan so you know exactly what the reading will be every single day, you can visit ascensionpress.com slash Bible in a Year.
You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking subscribe. That is why the button is there, and that is why I keep saying it basically every day for the previous 116 days, and this day, Day 117. is no difference. As I'm saying, as I was saying, it is day 117. We're reading from 1 Samuel chapter 26, and we're praying Psalm 56. 1 Samuel chapter 26. David again spares Saul's life.
Chapter 3: How does 1 Samuel 26 describe David sparing Saul's life?
Then the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, Is not David hiding himself on the hill of Hakilah, which is on the east of Jeshimon? So Saul arose and went down to the wilderness of Ziph with three thousand chosen men of Israel to seek David in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul encamped on the hill of Hakilah, which is beside the road on the east of Jeshimon.
But David remained in the wilderness, and when he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness, David sent out spies and learned of a certainty that Saul had come. Then David arose and came to the place where Saul had encamped, and David saw the place where Saul lay with Abner the son of Ner, the commander of his army.
Saul was lying within the encampment while the army was encamped around him. Then David said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Joab's brother Abishai the son of Zeruih, Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul? Then Abishai said, I will go down with you. So David and Abishai went to the army by night.
And there lay Saul sleeping within the encampment with his spear stuck in the ground at his head. And Abner and the army lay around him. Then said Abishai to David, God has given your enemy into your hand this day. Now therefore, let me pin him to the earth with one stroke of the spear, and I will not strike him twice.
But David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him, for who can put forth his hand against the Lord's anointed and be guiltless? And David said, As the Lord lives, the Lord will strike him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall go down into battle and perish. The Lord forbid that I should put forth my hand against the Lord's anointed.
But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water and let us go. So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.
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Chapter 4: What is the significance of David's actions against Saul in the wilderness?
Then David went over to the other side and stood afar off on top of the mountain with a great space between them. And David called to the army and to Abner, the son of Ner, saying, Will you not answer, Abner? Then Abner answered, who are you that calls to the king? And David said to Abner, are you not a man who is like you in Israel? Why then have you not kept watch over your Lord, the king?
For one of the people came in to destroy the king, your Lord. This thing that you have done is not good. As the Lord lives, you deserve to die because you have not kept watch over your Lord, the Lord's anointed. And now see where the king's spear is and the jar of water that was at his head. Saul recognized David's voice and said, "'Is this your voice, my son David?'
And David said, "'It is my voice, my lord, O king.' And he said, "'Why does my lord pursue after his servant? For what have I done? What guilt is on my hands?' Now therefore let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If it is the lord who has stirred you up against me, may he accept an offering. But if it is men, may they be cursed before the lord.
For they have driven me out this day that I should have no share in the heritage of the lord, saying, Go, serve other gods. Now therefore let not my blood fall to the earth away from the presence of the lord. For the king of Israel has come out to seek my life like one who hunts a partridge in the mountains. Then Saul said, And David made answer, Here is the spear, O king.
Let one of your young men come over and fetch it. The Lord rewards every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord gave you into my hand today, and I would not put forth my hand against the Lord's anointed. Behold, as your life was precious this day in my sight, so may my life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and may he deliver me out of all tribulation.
Then Saul said to David, Blessed be you, my son David. You will do many things and will succeed in them. So David went his way, and Saul returned to his place.
Psalm 56.
Trust in God under persecution. To the choir master, according to the dove on far-off Terebinthes, a mictum of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath. Have mercy on me, O God, for men trample upon me. All day long foes oppress me. My enemies trample upon me all day long, for many fight against me proudly. When I am afraid, I put my trust in you, in God, whose word I praise.
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Chapter 5: What lessons does Psalm 56 teach about trust and faith in God?
In God I trust without a fear. What can flesh do to me? all day long they seek to injure my cause all their thoughts are against me for evil they band themselves together they lurk they watch my steps as they have waited for my life so recompense them for their crime in wrath cast down the peoples o god You have kept count of my tossings, put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?
Then my enemies will be turned back in the day when I call. This I know, that God is for me. In God whose word I praise, in the Lord whose word I praise. In God I trust without a fear. What can man do to me? My vows to you I must perform, O God.
I will render thank offerings to you, for you have delivered my soul from death, yes, my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of life.
Father in heaven, we give you praise and we give you glory.
We thank you for this day. We thank you for this brief time, briefer than normal, this time of just exposing ourselves to your word and to hear your voice. Thank you for reminding us of the virtue of mercy. Thank you for reminding us of the virtue of reverence. And thank you for reminding us of the virtue of faithfulness.
In your name, we ask you to please help us to be merciful, to be reverent, and to be faithful. In Jesus' name we pray, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. So we have this. Here is Saul in chapter 24, who repented of trying to kill David when David cut off the hem of his cloak in the cave when he was relieving himself.
But here is back at it again in chapter 26, Saul seeking David's life. And yet here is David with these three critical virtues. David has the virtue of mercy. He has the virtue of reverence. He has the virtue of faithfulness. And this is so key, right? So David, who's saying that, no, it's not my job to take justice or revenge upon the Lord's anointed.
Um,
And as I've treated Saul, may the Lord treat me. As I've held his life to be precious, may the Lord hold my life to be precious. There is something in that, you know, we see an echo or a pre-echo really of what Jesus is going to talk about when he gives us the Our Father. Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.
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