The Lord delivered his enemy into his hands.
The one who was unjustly trying to kill him. The one who was willing to kill anyone who helped him. The one tormented by an evil spirit for turning his back on the Lord. After years of fleeing from him, the Lord had now given him over. The victory was secure.
But, David would not kill King Saul.
Though Saul and his guards were unaware that David was hiding in the cave, and though David was close enough to the unsuspecting Saul to cut his robe without being noticed, David refrained from harming him further (1 Sam. 24). Although the opportunity presented itself, seemingly from the Lord, he could not kill the Lord’s anointed.
Don’t Take Every Opportunity
Open doors or opportunities often present themselves and we have to decide how to proceed. God may well get our attention by presenting an opportunity, such as a job offer or a great deal on a house. Other times, God may make his desire clear by closing a door. Perhaps you prayed for a job, but found out it wasn’t God’s will when you weren’t selected.
Opportunities present themselves throughout our life, and we must determine the proper way to obey and honor the Lord. However, we can’t assume that God endorses every opportunity that is presented to us.
I recently heard a popular Christian explain why she engaged in an activity that many Christians believe goes against God’s Word. Her reason was that she had been given opportunity to do it. She surmised that God wouldn’t provide such opportunity if he didn’t want her to take it.
Does this mean every opportunity in our life is a green light from God? Surely we recognize there are many opportunities that present themselves throughout our lives that goes against God’s will. Everyday we are presented with opportunities to lie, gossip, slander, commit adultery, etc. Yet, we know these opportunities are not from God because his word makes it clear.
Discerning God’s Will
While the opportunity presented itself for David to take Saul’s life and finally end his unfair pursuit, David decided against it. To the disbelief of his men, David determined that killing the Lord’s anointed would be to disobey God’s commands. If the Lord wanted Saul removed and David installed as king, then he could accomplish that without David having to compromise God’s law.
When opportunity presents itself to us, we can’t just assume the Lord wants us to take it. Everything we do is to considered in light of Scripture where God has revealed his character and law to us. “Gray” matters, those not addressed explicitly in Scripture, are to be taken to the Lord in prayer and with consideration from wise counsel of godly people. God’s word, prayer, and godly counsel will help us as we determine the direction God wants us to go.
However, this process may be inconvenient and time-consuming. Because David didn’t take action in the cave, he would spend the next several years still fleeing for his life from Saul. Rather than immediately being king, David would have to wait. However, the “shortcut” to the throne through disobedience would not be pleasing to the Lord and bring consequences with it. Likewise, taking such shortcuts in our life may seem efficient but are without the Lord’s blessing.
Weigh every opportunity through the teaching of Scripture and know that God will not contradict himself. It’s never his will to compromise holiness; his character is good and it’s never right to act against it. Be willing to wait, avoiding shortcuts that take you through a path of disobedience. Doing so may seem inconvenient and take longer to get to the desired destination, but it will yield a life of fruitful obedience that’s blessed by our God who is holy, holy, holy.
