When the opportunity’s hot, it’s time to strike.
Just ask any successful businessman. If we let a ripe opportunity pass us by, the door will close, and we may never get the chance to walk through it again. The website www.popsci.com says that it’s simply luck that affords many people the riches of their dreams.
Jeff Bidelman poked around an abandoned Pennsylvania home to find coins in the walls valued at $200,000.
Teri Horton bought a painting in a thrift shop for $5. She recently turned down an offer of $9 million for the original Jackson Pollock work of art.
Laura Stouffer of South Carolina bought a cheap framed print in a thrift shop. Underneath the print was an original “window card” poster of a classic 1930s movie valued at $20,000. The movie? All Quiet on the Western Front.
Mary Hannaby’s metal detector uncovered a 15th century gold panel valued at nearly $300,000 in Hertfordshire, England. In the previous seven years, she’d found no more than an old dental plate. The owner of the land gave her 70% of the proceeds from the sale.
If these people hadn’t taken advantage of their opportunities, they’d still be sitting in the poor house, whining about their lack of fortune. However, they went out and found their opportunity to great riches.
Or it found them.
In 1 Samuel 21, King Saul is chasing after David, hoping to kill him. Then, fortune of all fortunes, David comes upon Saul sleeping in a cave.
Opportunity had found David, and his moment was at hand. The time was hot, and it was David’s chance to strike, ridding himself of his greatest enemy (and surely winning the kingship in the process).
It must have been God providing the opportunity. After all, think through David’s eyes: slightly crazy king; David running for his life; God placing said king at David’s hand.
Have we found ourselves in similar situations? One where we finally have the chance to get even, to absolve ourselves of those who’ve offended us? We see it as a God-given opportunity, and we rush to strike while the iron is hot.
Yet, sometimes it’s not our place to step out. God may be testing us, or God may want the world to see us act with grace and mercy.
In 1 Samuel 26:11-12, David handles the situation like this:
“ ‘The Lord forbid that I should put out my hand against the Lord's anointed. But take now the spear that is at his head and the jar of water, and let us go.’ So David took the spear and the jar of water from Saul's head, and they went away. No man saw it or knew it, nor did any awake, for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them.”
David knew it was not his place to do the Lord’s business, even if the opportunity was handed to him in the blackness of a cave where none would know what he did or didn’t do.
God would know, and David would know.
The truth is that not all opportunities are ours to take. Sometimes we have to trust God to do as he promises. We have to trust our Father in heaven to guide our steps, even when they lead us away from what looks good to the world.
Just because an opportunity comes our way doesn’t mean it’s God’s opportunity for us.
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