I Samuel 26:23 "The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness: for the LORD delivered thee into my hand to day, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed."
Let me give you a scenario: You are walking down the road and praying for $74.23. All of the sudden, the person in front of you drops something! As the paper floats to the ground and the metal makes a clanking sound on the pavement, you cannot believe your eyes. Seventy-four dollars in cash, along with two dimes and three shiny pennies! Who in the world drops exactly $74.23? Surely this is God's providence...right?
That scenario mirrors the story of David in I Samuel 26. God had told David that he would be the next king of Israel. The one thing stopping that from happening was Saul's being alive! As David was pursued by Saul, he found an opportunity to hasten his reign as king. Even Abishai was convinced that this was God's doing and encouraged David, "God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day. . . ." Was this an optimistic opportunity or the providence of God?
David could have killed Saul that day; it seemed like this just dropped from the sky. However, he recognized the difference between providence and opportunity. Just because something is an opportunity doesn't mean that it was orchestrated by God for you. The providence of God never contradicts the principles of God. Rely on who God is and what He said, rather than a perceived opportunity that presents itself. Sometimes trusting the providence of God means passing up the opportunities of life!
We are prone to try to force God into the way we think or the way we want to do things. God is not who you want Him to be; He is the God of the universe, and He never changes. The opportunity before you may not always be the providence of God. God's purpose may be to test you, prepare you, or teach you-don't miss what He is doing! David made the right choice when it came to the opportunity he saw in I Samuel 26. What will you do with the opportunities in your life today? Are they God's providence or rather opportunities that should be passed up?
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