things aren't always as they seem...

"He came to the sheepfolds beside the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David & his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. The men of David said to him, 'Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, "I will give your enemy into your hand and you shall do to him as it seems good to you."'"

(1 Sam. 24:3-4)

David was on the run. It had been a while now. After being invited (and welcomed) into the King's palace, King Saul had turned on David. Jealous over his rising popularity and success, Saul sought to kill David. So David ran. He (and a number of followers who'd flocked to his leadership in the wilderness) had been running for quite some time now. And this day they were taking shelter inside a cave.

Saul had intel that David was close - that's why he was there in the En-gedi with 3k soldiers. But when "nature calls," one must respond. So Saul went into the very same cave to pee. Unbeknownst to him, he was walking into danger. David's men sensed the gravity of the situation. Obviously this was ALL GOD'S DOING!!! Now was the time to strike and rid himself of the constant threat to his life. In fact, they claimed God had already prompted David for just such a time (side note: biblical scholars can't tie that to any specific piece of scripture - they may have been making it up!).

David, however, did not choose to attack Saul that day. Instead, he simply cut off a portion fo the king's robe, as proof he could have done more damage, had he wanted to. When Saul was confronted with this reality a few moments later, he repented and asked David's forgiveness. (Unfortunately, it didn't end David's troubles from Saul... he quickly went back to his evil ways.)

But the scenario raises an important point in my eyes: THINGS ARE NOT ALWAYS AS THEY SEEM. The advice of David's men appeared insightful: "this MUST be of God! Everything is set up so perfectly for you!" But David followed God more than he followed the advice of his companions. And it turned out for the best.

It's so easy for us to look for signs from God. "Show me your will," we ask! At times we're so desperate for God's guidance that we'll read all kinds of things into our daily happenings. But we have to know God's HEART more than we know "conventional wisdom." When we spend time reading, reflecting, and searching the wisdom of the Bible, we come to know what God ultimately desires. Lately, I've been spending a lot of time reflecting on Micah 6:8 - "What does the LORD require of you, but to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with our God!" That would have been in line with David's decision not to kill Saul that afternoon in the cave. May it also be how I make choices in my life today and everyday.