Stricken by the Heart

1 Samuel 24 records how Saul chased after David in the wilderness of Engedi to kill him. Coincidentally, the cave Saul chose to rest in was the cave David and his men were hiding in. Although David’s men encouraged him to kill Saul, David refused. Instead, he cut off the edge of Saul’s robe as proof that he had spared him. 1 Samuel 24:5 says, “It came about afterward that David’s conscience bothered him because he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe.” The metaphor is more literally translated, “David’s heart struck him.”

When a person recognizes that they have done wrong, something hurts inside. Not a physical kind of hurt, necessarily, but an emotional and psychological distress. That’s what David felt. His heart struck him when he had cut off the edge of Saul’s robe, even though he had also spared his life.

David had a sensitive conscience, something that not all people retain as they move through life. Some have had their consciences seared into numbness by lies told to them by wicked people (1 Tim. 4:2). Some harm their own consciences by persisting in sinful behavior (1 Tim. 1:18). A conscience that has been harmed, or seared, no longer punishes or rewards the person accurately. In extreme cases, wickedness is rewarded and righteousness receives the inward strike from the heart.

If you are struggling with a damaged conscience, God says there is hope for restoration. 1 Timothy 1:5 says that sound biblical instruction produces a good conscience in the one who receives it. Don’t give up hope if your injured conscience is confusing you about right and wrong. Instead, listen to the Scriptures and obey them, and over time, your obedience to the truth will repair your conscience. If you are like David today, having a keen sense of right and wrong sharpened by the truth of Scripture, be thankful and careful to maintain it through continued study and regular spiritual conversations with faithful brethren (2 Tim. 2:15; Prov. 27:17).