1 Samuel 26:8 “Then Abishai said to David, “God has given your enemy into your hand this day; now then, please let me strike him with the spear driving it to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.”
Sometimes we are tempted to take shortcuts to our destinations in life. David faced this temptation several times before he was crowned king. Samuel, God’s prophet, anointed David and prophesied that David would be the next king of Israel in 1 Sam. 16:12-13. While David waited on God’s timing, David watched in frustration as a crazed King Saul put the kingdom in jeopardy. Saul hunted David to kill him and David had to run for his life.
David was given an incredible opportunity. David found Saul sleeping with his army. One of David’s warriors, Abishai, offered to kill Saul. It seemed to make perfect sense. Saul had tried to kill David on many occasions. God had said that He wanted David to be the next king and by taking matters into his own hands, David could bring an end to his exile and take the throne as God’s anointed servant. But David refused to compromise his integrity in order to become king even though he wanted the position and his rightfully his. Making God’s will happen in any other way than the way God laid it out was not even an option to David.
You might find yourself facing similar temptations. Well meaning friends tell you to speed things up instead of waiting on God. You might be seriously tempted to take control of your situation, thinking that the end will justify the means. These are the times you must trust God’s perfect timing. God might plan for you to attain a certain position or take a new direction, but the timing just does not seem quite right. Watch over your heart. Do not allow others to persuade you to compromise your integrity as you follow God’s will.