1 Samuel 24:1

1 Samuel 24:1 says, And it came to pass, when Saul was returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, Behold, David is in the wilderness of Engedi.  After returning from fighting the Philistines, Saul was told where David now was.  It seems that many of the people of Israel were still loyal to Saul, even though David had done more overall to protect them from the Philistines.  There are people today, even some Christians, who are loyal to political leaders no matter what, but we a Christians need to seek God's guidance as we place our loyalty in political leaders.  Verse two adds, Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the rocks of the wild goats.  Saul took three thousand chosen men, that we would think were his best fighters, to go and hunt David.  This was an overwhelming force to go against David and his small force.  As followers of Christ, we are always going to be outnumbered in the world today, but God has already given us the everlasting victory through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Verse three continues, And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where was a cave; and Saul went in to cover his feet: and David and his men remained in the sides of the cave.  When Saul got there, he went into a cave.  This was a very large cave, and David and his men were hidden inside it.  Saul was alone,and David had an ideal opportunity to kill him, but this still wasn't David’s intention.  Verse four states, And the men of David said unto him, Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee. Then David arose, and cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe privily.  David’s men told him that God had delivered Saul into his hand as He had promised.  David could have listened to them and killed Saul and justified it as being God's will, but instead he cut off a piece of Saul's robe.  Not every opportunity that we have to destroy our enemies today is given to us by God, and we need to be careful about assuming that they are.  Verse five adds, And it came to pass afterward, that David’s heart smote him, because he had cut off Saul’s skirt.  Afterwards, David was remorseful about what he had done,even though it should have shown Saul that David wasn't trying to kill him.  If we as followers of Christ take actions today that we later realize were not what God would have us do, then we should be remorseful when we realize it. Six continues, And he said unto his men, The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD’s anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD.  David said the LORD forbid him from harming Saul, who was God's anointed as king.  Even though Saul had proven himself to be in defiance of God and David had already been anointed to replace him, David still was not going to take matters into his own hands, even tough the opportunity to kill Saul was there.  We need to be careful that in our fight against evil today that we don't confuse opportunity with God's will.  I also believe that if God has placed a preacher in a church that we should support him instead of attempting to undermine him if we don't like him.

1 Samuel 23:19

1 Samuel 23:19 says, Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, Doth not David hide himself with us in strong holds in the wood, in the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?  The Ziphites came to Saul when David aas hiding out in their woods.  They asked Saul if he knew that.  These were some of David’s kinsmen, and he certainly had done them no harm, but they were more interested in ingratiating themselves to Saul then in helping Davd.  We should not be surprised if people that we think are friends, or maybe are even family, would betray us if they thought it would help them.  Verse twenty adds,  Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.  They invited Saul to come down and said they would deliver David into his hand.  These were some of God's people, but they weren't asking God for guidance.  As Christians we must always seek God's will first, even in matters relating to the government.   Verse twenty-one states, And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.  Saul was still going through the motions of being a man of God who was doing God's bidding.  He pronounced God's blessing on them, even while he was no longer blessed by God, but was rejected instead.  People still attempt to control God's blessings while they refuse to obey His directions.  Verse twenty-two adds, Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there: for it is told me that he dealeth very subtilly.  Saul basically told them to go and find out for sure where David was, because he said he had been told that David dealt very subtilly.   Of course, the real reason Saul was having difficulty finding and killing David was because God was protecting him.  God is still protecting us as followers of Christ today.  Verse twenty-three continues, See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you: and it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah.  Saul told them to go and find all of David's hiding places and then return and tell him.  Saul said he would then go and search David out from all the thousands of people in Judah.  He was confident that he could get around God's protection of David.  People may think that they can get around God's protection of Christians today, but we are forever secure by our faith and His power.  Verse twenty-four states, And they arose, and went to Ziph before Saul: but David and his men were in the wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.  The men of Ziph returned ahead of Saul, but David had moved on to the plain south of Jeshimon.  I believe God was leading David in his moves, just as He should be leading us no matter what we are doing.  Verse twenty-five adds, Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David: wherefore he came down into a rock, and abode in the wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the wilderness of Maon.  David had moved because he heard Saul was coming after him, and Saul pursued him.  Verse twenty-six continues, And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain: and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul; for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.  David hurried to get away from Saul, but Saul and his men basically surrounded David and his men.  I still am not sure if David was afraid of Saul, or if he was afraid of having to kill him.  If David was still putting his faith God, he had no reason to fear Saul, and if we put our faith in God, we have no reason to fear anyone. Verse twenty-seven concludes, But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, Haste thee, and come; for the Philistines have invaded the land.  By attacking Israel, the Philistines also saved David, since when Saul heard that the Philistines were attacking, he left to fight them.  Verse twenty-eight says, Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David, and went against the Philistines: therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth.  At least Saul was still putting defending Israel against the Philistines ahead of his desire to kill David.  Sometimes,  non Christians fighting amongst themselves can be beneficial to Christians, even if this is not their intention.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And David went up from thence, and dwelt in strong holds at Engedi.  David used this opportunity to leave where he was and to go to the strongholds at Engedi.  God had saved David again, though he may  or may not have acknowledged it.  God may save us from destruction many times as His followers today without our even realizing it.

1 Samuel 23:7

1 Samuel 23:7 says, And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah. And Saul said, God hath delivered him into mine hand; for he is shut in, by entering into a town that hath gates and bars.  When Saul heard that David was at Keilah, he was arrogant enough to believe that God had delivered David to him so that he could kill him.  He had evidently forgotten that one of the reasons he hated David so much was because God was with David and not with him.  At times today, people still want to justify their actions by claiming God is on their side, often while doing things that go against His commandments.  Verse eight adds, And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah, to besiege David and his men.  Saul, who had done nothing to help the people at Keilah, now called the people of Israel together to go and besiege David there, even though David was the one who had helped them even though he knew it could put him in danger from Saul.  Sometimes, even if we know that we are putting ourself in danger by helping someone, we still need to do it, if we like David have sought God's guidance in the situation.  Verse nine continues, And David knew that Saul secretly practised mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring hither the ephod.  David knew that Saul was up to something that was no good, so he asked Abiathar to bring him the ephod.  He would use this to seek God's guidance, just as we should use prayer and the Bible to do so today.  Verse ten declares, Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.  David brought his concerns reverently before God, just as we must today, especially in times of trouble.  Verse eleven adds, Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down.  David asked God if Saul would come down and if the people of Keilah would deliver him up to Saul.   The first answer David got was that Saul would come down.  This didn't totally answer David’s question.  When we pray to God for guidance today, He may not immediately give us a complete answer to our questions.  Verse twelve adds, Then said David, Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will deliver thee up.  David again asked God the question about the people of Keilah, and God said that they would give him up to Saul.  This probably wasn't the answer David wanted to hear, especially since he and his men had just saved them from the Philistines.  We cannot always expect people to act honorably towards us simply because we have helped them, but we should always seek God's will in dealing with the situation.  Verse thirteen continues, Then David and his men, which were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah, and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David was escaped from Keilah; and he forbare to go forth. After seeking God's guidance, David and his men left Keilah, going wherever they could go to stay safe.  Saul heard David had left, so he didn't go to Keilah.  Had God really been delivering David into Saul’s hand, he would have still been there.  At times today, we still hear people saying that God is going to do something, either in their life or in the world as a whole, and it doesn't happen.   This simply means that God wasn't behind their claim to begin with.  Verse fourteen states, And David abode in the wilderness in strong holds, and remained in a mountain in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.  David lived in many places in the wilderness and in the mountain of the wilderness of Ziph, and Saul hunted him every day, but God kept David safe.  Whatever happens in our life today, we as followers of Christ are forever safe in God's hands, even if our life here is taken from us for His sake.  Verse fifteen adds, And David saw that Saul was come out to seek his life: and David was in the wilderness of Ziph in a wood.  David was hiding in the woods at Ziph at this time.  Verse sixteen says, And Jonathan Saul’s son arose, and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.  Saul may not have been able to find David, but Jonathan was.  I believe that this was because Jonathan was still following God's guidance in his life.  We cannot be more loyal to our parents than we are to God and still be effective Christians, especially if we know that what they want goes against God's will.  Verse seventeen adds, And he said unto him, Fear not: for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee; and thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth.  Jonathan gave David assurance that Saul would not find him and that he would be the king of Israel.  Jonathan then also assured David that he would serve David and not attempt to seize power, as he might have claimed was his right.  Jonathan was still putting himself in danger to even speak to David since Saul was hunting David to kill him.  I believe Jonathan was relying on God's guidance in the situation, and so must we today as Christians.  Verse eighteen continues, And they two made a covenant before the LORD: and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.  Once again,  Jonathan and David made a covenant with each other before the Lord.  As followers of Christ, any covenant that we make today should be before the Lord.

1 Samuel 23:1

1 Samuel 23:1 says, Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors.  Though David was on the run and hiding from Saul with a limited number of men and resources, when the city of Keilah was under attack by the Philistines, the people still came to David for help and not to Saul.  This would have been an ideal time for David to put his safety first and refuse to help them.  There may be times when our fellow Christians, or even non Christians come to us for help and it would be safer for us to deny them our help, but hopefully we will put our faith in God and help them.  Verse two adds, Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah.  At least David was wise enough to first ask God for guidance in whether to help them or not.  Of course, his question implied even more.  He didn't ask if he should go and fight the Philistines, but asked if he should go and defeat them under God's guidance and power.   God told David to go, defeat the Philistines, and save Keilah.  As we engage in battle with the world today, under God's guidance and by His power, the vicory is already ours.  Verse three adds, And David’s men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?  David’s men weren't so certain about going.  They said they were already afraid of Saul where they were in Judah, and asked how much more danger would they put themselves in if they went to fight the Philistines.  This would give Saul and opportunity to find them as well.  We cannot allow fear to rule our lives today, but under God's guidance and by His power we must be ready to take on any enemy that we need to, even if doing so doesn't seem logical.  Verse four states, Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand.  After his men questioned him, David again inquired of God, and he got the same answer.  Though we should be ready to accept God's answer the first time we ask Him about something and He has told us to do it, if it involves the safety of others, we may feel the need to ask Him again to be certain.  Verse five adds, So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.  David and his men obeyed God and went to Keilah, defeated the Philistines, and saved the city.  This was all done by God's empowering David and his men, and if we today are to be successful in our war against Satan and his forces, it will only be by the power of God that we are.  Verse six continues, And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.  Abiathar,  Abimelech's only surviving son, came to David at Keilah with an ephod in his hand.  Matthew Henry says this was the ephod of the high priest which contained the urim and thummin, which would have brought great comfort to David, since he couldn't go to the house of worship where they were at.  We need to acknowledge that if for some reason we cannot get to a house of worship today that as followers of Christ the Holy Spirit is always with us, and we are in God's presence no matter where we are.  Of course, this doesn't mean that we are to use any excuse to not gather together with our fellow believers.

1 Samuel 22:17

1 Samuel 22;17 says, And the king said unto the footmen that stood about him, Turn, and slay the priests of the LORD; because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled, and did not shew it to me. But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.  Saul then ordered his footmen to kill the priests.  He then falsely accused them of knowing where David was, siding with him against Saul,  and hiding him.  If people don't have legitimate reasons to persecute or kill Christians today, they will do so based on lies.  After all, they are under the leadership of Satan, the great Deceiver.  To their credit, even though it put them in great danger, the footmen refused to do as Saul ordered.  If there ever comes a time when we as Christians are ordered to take any harmful action against our fellow Christians, we must refuse to do so, even if this puts us at risk.  Verse eighteen adds, And the king said to Doeg, Turn thou, and fall upon the priests. And Doeg the Edomite turned, and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons that did wear a linen ephod.  When the footmen refused to kill the priests, Saul turned to Doeg and told him tokill them.  He was more than willingly to do so, and killed eighty-five priests.  We could say that Doeg had no choice since Saul had ordered him to do so, but he had the same ability say no as the footmen did, and he might have been in a more powerful position than they were.  We can never justify sinful actions by saying someone in authority told us to take them.  If there had been a priest helping David, it would have likely been only Abimelech himself, but eighty-five priests were slain.  This was  because of Saul's imagined guilt of all the priests by association.  If the time comes when Christians are openly persecuted, we should not be surprised if many are just pronounced guilty by association if one is charged with some crime.  Verse nineteen continues, And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen, and asses, and sheep, with the edge of the sword.  Saul didn't stop with having the priests killed, but he had all the people and animals of Nob, the city of the priests, killed as well.  This was Saul, the king that the people demanded, acting as Samuel had warned them a king might.  He was more interested in his position than he was in the welfare of his people.  There are still many leaders in the world today who are the same way.  Verse twenty states, And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped, and fled after David.  Ahiathar, one of the sons of Abimelech survived the massacre and fled to David.  If we are in a place where persecution is taking place, I believe that all we can do ultimately is place our life in the hands of God.  Of course, if we are truly open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit, He may lead us to a temporary place of safety but it will never be permanent, because this world is not our permanent home.  Verse twenty-one adds, And Abiathar shewed David that Saul had slain the LORD’s priests.  Abiathar told David what Saul had done to the priests and the city of Nob.  Even when the news is bad, all we as Christians can do is tell the truth, even if it is painful to us to tell it or to the ones we are telling it to.  Verse twenty-two continues, And David said unto Abiathar, I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul: I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father’s house.  David at least took responsibility for his part in what had happened.  By lying to Abimelech, David didn't even give him a choice as to whether or not to help him in defiance to Saul.  David said when he saw Doeg there that he knew he would go to Saul and tell him what had happened, or at least what he thought had happened.  If he knew that David had lied to Abimelech, he certainly did not tell Saul so.  We cannot expect those who are out destroy Christians to be completely truthful in their accusations against Christians, if they are truthful at all.  Verse twenty-three concludes, Abide thou with me, fear not: for he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life: but with me thou shalt be in safeguard.  David told  Abiathar to stay with him, because the one that wanted Abiathar dead also wanted David dead and this was Saul.  David said that he would safeguard Abiathar, even though at this time David was fearful for his own life.  Even if we are living in fear, which I don't believe that we as followers of Christ should ever do, we need to support our fellow Christians when they are in danger also.  Of course, I believe that if David had been relying on the guidance of God, he would have made different choices.

1 Samuel 22:9

1 Samuel 22:9 says, Then answered Doeg the Edomite, which was set over the servants of Saul, and said, I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. Doeg, who was over Saul’s servants, told Saul about David visiting Abimilech.  I don't know if he was trying to win favor with Saul, or if he believed that somehow David was a threat to Saul, which Saul had evidently been saying.  Verse ten adds, And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.  Doeg then told Saul that Abimelech had inquired of God for David and had given him food. These are things that a priest should be expected to do, without concern about political situations.  We should never allow politics to come between God and us.  Of course,  Daoeg didn't tell Saul about David lying about his reason for coming to Abimelech.  People still use half-truths to attempt to discredit Christians today.  Verse eleven continues, Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father’s house, the priests that were in Nob: and they came all of them to the king.  Saul sent for not only Abimelech but for all his household and all the priests at Nob, even though only Abimelech had been accused of helping David.  Those who are self-centered in their desire to stay in power still often desire to destroy or discredit anyone and everyone that they fear is a threat to them.  Verse twelve states, And Saul said, Hear now, thou son of Ahitub. And he answered, Here I am, my lord.  Saul didn't even call Abimelech by name nor title when he came before him.  This was a further sign of disrespect not only of Abimelech but also of God who had called him to be a prophet.  This in itself is an indication of how far Saul had gotten away from the will of God.  Abimelech, having done nothing wrong, acknowledged that he was there and that Saul was his lord, or the earthly ruler.  As followers of Christ, if we are called before the authorities, as may one day happen, we need to be able to stand before them innocent of breaking any laws, unless these laws are in opposition to God and His commandments.  Verse thirteen adds, And Saul said unto him, Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread, and a sword, and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?  Saul then accused Abimelech of plotting against him, and also of inquiring of God for help for David in this supposed insurrection.  Of course, if God was not with David and Abimelech, then the inquiry wouldn't have mattered.  Again, we should not be surprised if people of the world accuse Christians falsely of having ulterior motives in seeking God's will for either others or themselves.  Verse fourteen continues, Then Ahimelech answered the king, and said, And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, which is the king’s son in law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honourable in thine house?  Abimelech then defended David by telling Saul the truth about David.  No one was more faithful to Saul than David, who was both his son-in-law and had always gone when Saul told him to go.  Abimelech didn't even tell Saul that David had said he was there on a mission for Saul.  Since Saul was not concerned about God and His will but only about preserving his position a king, he probably wouldn't have believed Abimelech anyway.  Though we would hope so, the truth may not always set us free from the forces of evil today.  Verse fifteen concludes, Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? be it far from me: let not the king impute any thing unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father: for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more.  Abimelech then told Saul that he had made no inquiry to God concerning David replacing Saul, and he still didn't tell Saul what David had told him about his reason for being there.  Abimelech also said he knew nothing about any dispute between David and Saul.  If we are falsely accused as Christians today, all we can do is stand on the truth and put our faith in God to deliver us one way or the other.  As long as Abimelech truthfully told Saul what he had done, then he was safe by God's mercy.  Verse sixteen says, And the king said, Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou, and all thy father’s house.  Not only did Saul sentence Abimelech to death, he also sentenced all his family with him, even though Abimelech alone was accused falsely of helping David in a plot to overthrow Saul.  Those who fear that they may be put out of power in the world today still often kill their rivals and their families.   

1 Samuel 22:1

1 Samuel 22:1 says, David therefore departed thence, and escaped to the cave Adullam: and when his brethren and all his father’s house heard it, they went down thither to him.  David next escaped to the cave Adullam, and when his brothers heard about it, they went down to join him.  If we are in a bad situation today, and our family, and I would say our spiritual brothers and sisters maybe even more than our biological ones, hear about it, I hope they would join us.  Verse two adds, And every one that was in distress, and every one that was in debt, and every one that was discontented, gathered themselves unto him; and he became a captain over them: and there were with him about four hundred men.  David had what we might call the rabble join him, those who were in distress, debt, or were just discontented with life.  This could describe us before we come to Jesus Christ by faith and accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord.  David, who had been a captain in Saul’s army, became their captain, about four hundred men.  Verse three continues, And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab: and he said unto the king of Moab, Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth, and be with you, till I know what God will do for me. David then went to the king of Moab and asked him to allow his mother and father to come there.  He wanted them to be safe, and he at least now acknowledged that his life was in God's hands.  We should want our mother and father to be safe today, and we should do all that we can to ensure that they are, but we should always put everything in God's hands.  Verse four concludes, And he brought them before the king of Moab: and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the hold.  David brought his mother and father to the king of Moab, and they lived there while David was in the hold, or cave.  We are not told how his parents felt about this, but I believe that when our parents are no longer able to care for themselves or are in danger otherwise, we have a responsibility to do all that we can to make sure that they are safe, sometimes even if they may not want to do what we know is necessarily.  Verse five states, And the prophet Gad said unto David, Abide not in the hold; depart, and get thee into the land of Judah. Then David departed, and came into the forest of Hareth in Judah.  When the prophet Gad told David to go to Judah, he took the prophet's advice and went to the forest of Hareth.  There was nothing to be accomplished by just hiding, so God through His prophet told David it was time to be moving.  We cannot serve God effectively if all we are doing is hiding from the world in hopes of being safe.  We need to be open to God's leadership telling us when we need to move back out into the world, even if it puts us in more danger than hiding out might.  Verse six adds, When Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men that were with him, (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him;)  While Saul was under a tree at Gibeah, with his servants around him and holding his spear in his hand, possibly from fear of David who still had done nothing to threaten Saul, he heard about where David was.  Matthew Henry says that by this time it seemed that Saul’s only purpose was to kill David.  If we as Christians are perceived as a threat to the people of the world today, it may become their biggest goal to either destroy or at least discredit us, even though we have done nothing to harm them.  Verse seven continues, Then Saul said unto his servants that stood about him, Hear now, ye Benjamites; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds;  Then Saul appealed to the greed of those around him, who were of the tribe of Benjamin.  He implied that he as king could give them more than David could, even though everything that he controlled had belonged to the people to start with.  People, especially some leaders, are still attempting to buy the loyalty of Christians today, even though they have nothing to offer us that doesn't already belong to God.  Verse eight concludes, That all of you have conspired against me, and there is none that sheweth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse, and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or sheweth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?  Saul then went into a self-pitying declaration.  He said no one, not even his son, was standing with him against David, who was a threat in Saul’s mind only.  We still encounter people today who are full of self-pity over perceived threats from Christians.  They cry out that if we are in positions of power that we will be out to destroy them, even if this idea has no basis in reality, and as Christians we should always be reaching out to them with God's love instead of trying to destroy them.