David’s Song of Mourning for Saul and Jonathan
17 Then David sang this song of mourning over Saul and his son Jonathan, 18 and he told them to teach the sons of Judah the mourning song of the bow; behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar.
19 “[i]Your beauty, Israel, is [j]slaughtered on your high places!
How the mighty have fallen!
20 Tell it not in Gath,
Proclaim it not in the streets of Ashkelon,
Or the daughters of the Philistines will rejoice,
The daughters of the uncircumcised will celebrate.
21 Mountains of Gilboa,
May there be no dew nor rain on you, or fields of offerings!
For there the shield of the mighty was defiled,
The shield of Saul, not anointed with oil.
22 From the blood of those [k]slaughtered, from the fat of the mighty,
The bow of Jonathan did not turn back,
And the sword of Saul did not return [l]unstained.
23 Saul and Jonathan, beloved and delightful in [m]life,
And in their deaths they were not separated;
They were swifter than eagles,
They were mightier than lions.
24 Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul,
Who clothed you in scarlet, with jewelry,
Who put gold jewelry on your apparel.
25 How the mighty have fallen in the midst of the battle!
Jonathan is [n]slaughtered on your high places.
26 I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan;
You have been [o]a close friend to me.
Your love for me was more wonderful
Than the love of women.
27 How the mighty have fallen,
And the weapons of war have perished!”
David seemed to be quite adept at looking for the good in people. To be sure, Saul was all these things. When he first became king, he was loved by many, and he fought valiantly to protect Israel from her enemies.
Even in his later years, one could not call him a coward. For even in his last battle, he knew death was coming, but he fought on until he was surrounded by the enemy.
It can be easy, especially in our American culture, to nitpick and find all the little negative things about someone. To find all their faults, and display them for the world to see.
That is not what God does though. God knows all our faults, but revels in our strengths, for they are gifts He gave us. God is not interested in tearing us down, but rather building us into something better, someone more like Him.
To serve God means to be more like Him every day, which means we also should look for the good in people. Strive to find that which God has placed in their hearts for good, and be iron sharpening iron. Throwing stones only leads to dull blades, and that’s no good for anyone. Be sharp, and keep an eye out for signs of the God’s heart in each person you encounter. And use the gifts He gave you to encourage and uplift them, just as God himself does.