Choose Correctly
And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the LORD said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. 1 Samuel 24:3-4
To give context of this passage, King Saul was chasing after David in order to kill him. Saul brought 3,000 men with him to complete this task. While alone in the cave, Saul was oblivious that David and his men were hiding in there. It was a grand opportunity for David and his men to kill Saul and become free. However, David did not kill Saul, and in fact, all he did was cut a small piece of his outer garment.
The dilemma David faced was the conflict between the direction of Yahweh’s righteousness and the temptation to do something else. David’s men were pressing him to take Saul’s life, and it seemed to be the easiest and best route. On the surface, some would say Yahweh opened this door, but not David; he knew the difference between Holy Spirit’s plan and a temptation for an easy out. To David’s men, this must have seemed to be the wrong thing to do, and I imagine they let him know that. But David knew the path he had to take, and it is not always the one everyone else thinks is right.
Have you ever been in a situation where you had to make a difficult decision? Everything is pointing to a specific answer, but you know deep down in your heart that there is another way. People around you, trusted people, are all encouraging you to take action, but the action they are pushing you toward is not what Holy Spirit wants you to do. You must be able to discern and choose correctly.
You must make a choice; choosing to follow Holy Spirit, when you do not understand versus choosing something you do understand but is not by the Spirit. I believe it is a no-brainer. Walking by faith with Holy Spirit will always lead you to a path of righteousness, even when it does not make sense.
So, as you start your day, what decisions are you facing today? Are you being tempted to take the easier apparent route, or do you know in your spirit, Yahweh has a different plan? Are there voices pushing you in a direction that goes against what Holy Spirit is saying? Today, be like David and choose correctly! Hear and obey Holy Spirit, not your understanding or what appears to be the more comfortable route.