Know when to hold 'em

Good morning, I have missed sharing my thoughts with you over the past couple of days. I hope that you have kept up with the reading and spent some time doing your own reflection on 1 Samuel.

In 1 Samuel 26, we see a continuing trend that has always bothered me. David is running for his life, and on more than one occasion, it appears that God has indeed delivered Saul into David's hands, and yet David refuses to lift a hand against "the Lord's anointed one" (hmmm...I thought that David was now the anointed one). I understand and respect David for his commitment to not strike Saul down - even when given the opportunity.

But how do we know when God is opening doors and when we are taking matters into our own hands? David was clearly not above violence or killing - he was a war chief known for killing thousands and thousands of people. He was a man of action, and yet given the opportunity to bring an end to his life on the run - he chooses not to - not once by twice. I'm not sure that I would have shown the same restraint - and if David had done it, nobody would have thought less of him.

I'm not sure that I have a good answer for this - I do know some things - God is not a God of discord or strife. God does not pressure us to do things or make decisions - God is a God of peace and the bible says

Philippians 4:6-7 says "6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

When we are truly seeking God's wisdom and direction we will experience true peace in our hearts and in our minds. If you feel compelled to do something - if you don't have peace in your heart and your mind, then most likely the opportunity is not an opportunity from God.

Don't miss out on the important pre-requisite to experiencing this peace, however. We must make our request known to God by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. It's not that God isn't aware of our requests - I mean He's God right - the question is, are we willing to trust God with the outcome - that is when we truly experience peace of heart and mind.

David clearly trusted God with the outcome - encouraging Saul to let God judge between the two. How about you, do you trust God with the outcome of your major decisions, or do you simply walk through every open door - assuming that just becasue an opportunity arises, it must be from God?