THEOSISAugustine of Hippo
When Samuel confronted Saul, he admitted, ‘I have sinned.’ However, one might wonder why he did not receive the comforting word of the Lord like David did, as the Lord did not count his sin against him. Is the Lord biased toward certain individuals? Certainly not. While men heard the same message, the Lord, in His all-seeing gaze, recognized the profound differences in the intentions of those who delivered it. This serves as guidance for us all, reminding us that the kingdom of God resides within you (Luke 17:21). The fundamental takeaway from this is that we should offer heartfelt praise to the Lord, allowing our prayers to flow from deep emotion rather than mere habitual obligation, as was the case with those of old whose hearts were distant from true fellowship with Him.
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Additionally, we learn not to judge others whose inner lives we cannot perceive, except as the Lord does, to whom the knowledge of hearts is fully accessible and who cannot be misled or biased. It is both absurd and regrettable for any human arrogance to place its own judgement above that of the Lord, particularly when the Scriptures vividly affirm the Lord's understanding of human hearts, as exemplified by the stories of David and Saul.