Don't Listen to Them

I Samuel 24:10

Look this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hands in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you and I said, “I will not stretch out my hand against my Lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.”

People around you can hype you up into situations that God never meant for you to be in. That is why it’s important to know who you are and whose you are before you get into leadership because if you don’t have strong values, you will be swayed by the opinions of others. David had been raised with the fear of the Lord and how to respect authority. David knew that the Lord had anointed him to be King and God would be the one to raise him up in God’s own time.

David was in a tight spot. I ain't even going to front, if it had been me, there might have been a different ending to this story. Saul had been chasing David and trying to kill him for no good reason other than he was jealous of David. One day King Saul happened to wander into the very cave David and his men were hiding in to relieve himself. David caught him with his pants down. David’s men, like our friends said, “Man here’s your chance, God has delivered Saul into your hands, it’s time for you to be king.” David is hungry, tired, hurt…he raises his knife and cuts off a piece of Saul’s Robe and retreats back into the dark like a ninja. His men are looking at him like, “that’s it!” David is conscience stricken because he even thought about killing Saul.

David comes out of the cave and told Saul as he was walking away, ”I could have killed you, but you are my father, my lord the king, more than that you are God’s anointed. I’m not your enemy.” Because of David’s goodness, in contrast to Saul’s evil. Saul finally saw himself and he wept. He told David he would be king because he was more righteous than he was. David was in a tight spot, but David did six things right according to John Maxwell:

1. Displayed God-confidence from the beginning.
2. Didn’t assume any right or privilege
3. Obeyed God in the little things
4. Maintained integrity by respecting Saul
5. Consistently submitted to Authority
6. Desired to increase God’s reputation
7. Listened to his inner conscience rather than the clatter of friends

Dear God, help me to hear you over the opinions and advice of others. Even in tight spots deliver me before I take matters into my own hands. Give me wisdom under pressure.

In Jesus name.

Amen.