Choose Carefully

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 30:1-2, Now it happened, when David and his men came to Ziklag, on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, attacked Ziklag and burned it with fire, 2 and had taken captive the women and those who were there, from small to great; they did not kill anyone, but carried them away and went their way.

All that befell David in this account was much of David’s own doing. First, he was in a place he did not belong. Although he was fleeing from Saul, he had no business intermingling with the Philistines. His attempt to join the Philistines in battle against God’s people was not where David and his men belonged. If we recall from chapter 17, David referred to Israel as the “armies of the Living God”. How could he now expect that he, himself, would be able to stand against God’s people, even if they were being led by such a sinful king? During his time amongst the Philistines, David led his men on raids in Amalekite cities, showing no mercy on them, leaving no man or woman alive. Did he not expect that there would be some kind of consequence somewhere along the line? In actuality, what we see here are the consequences of two men’s actions. First, we see the consequence of David’s actions while being in a backslidden state, but we also see the consequences of Saul’s disobedience in refusing to completely wipe out the Amalekites at God’s command (chapter 15). Galatians 6:7-8 warns, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.” David made many choices while fleeing from Saul, some good and many not so good. With each choice he made, there was a consequence that followed, whether curse or blessing. The point I am trying to make is that we must be very careful about our daily choices. For the child of God, every choice, whether great or small in our estimation, needs to be made prayerfully. We must be continually praying and asking God’s guidance in the decisions we make; in the things we choose. When we find ourselves at crossroads, the choices we make can have long lasting consequences. Abraham’s and Sarah’s choice to not patiently wait on the Lord resulted in consequences that have affected the world, as the conflict in the Middle East continues even today. The personal choices we make today, not only have the potential to affect us, but those around us as well. David, although wrong for leading his followers to dwell amongst the Philistines, suffered from the consequences of Saul’s sinful choices. David’s decision to stay among those ungodly people caused his men and all their families to suffer the consequences of his choices. None of us, regardless of who we are, escape the consequences God allows for the choices we make. There are many people around us who have yet to make the most important choice of their lives; choices that carry great consequences. I am speaking of the people we have been called to lead to Jesus. Our choice to follow Jesus faithfully and live a life that exalts Him in our lives is a choice we should all be striving to live out. Why, you ask? Well, because our choice to live for, or not live for, the Lord can lead to whether someone else chooses to accept or reject Jesus as their Savior. In that case, we will someday give account and stand to lose reward for our failure to choose a life dedicated to Christ, or we will choose what is right and reap the rewards of being a faithful servant of Jesus. On the other hand, the people we present the Gospel to will also suffer the consequences of their choices. If they reject the Gospel we present, and reject Jesus as their Savior, then the consequence is eternal condemnation (Romans 6:23; John 3:16-18). If they choose to accept the message of the Gospel, and Jesus as Savior, then they will gain life everlasting with no fear of condemnation, as we are told in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” David made some life altering choices that affected not only his relationship with those who followed him, but most importantly his relationship with God. We may not give a second thought to the things we choose, the actions or attitudes we choose, but the reality of making choices is that they can have eternal consequences, both for our shame and other people’s condemnation, or for God’s glory. We choose.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).