Session 14

Is opportunity a sign of God’s approval?

From 1 Samuel: A 6-Week Devotional

Have you ever wanted something so much any opportunity to obtain it seemed like God answering your prayer? Maybe money has been tight, and someone offered you a job that pays more money. Or, maybe you have been praying for a boyfriend, and a guy at work asked you to dinner.

In 1 Samuel 23:7, Saul wanted to kill David so badly he interpreted any opportunity to do so as God’s approval to take David’s life. Instead of asking the Lord as David often did (1 Samuel 23:2-4, and 1 Samuel 23:10-12), Saul viewed the opportunity as a sign God was giving him what he desired.

Not every open door is opened by God.

It is easy for us to see the error in Saul’s reasoning. God would not have wanted Saul to take David’s life. Murder is a sin, and God had chosen David to be the next king (1 Samuel 16:13). Yet, how many times have we walked through open doors claiming to be led by God without actually consulting Him?

Not every open door is opened by God.

Before we accept any opportunity, we should ask God for wisdom and examine our motives (James 1:5). God promises to guide us when we trust Him and submit to His will for our lives (Proverbs 3:5-6). If we don’t, we can confuse our desires with God’s desires because we are more focused on what we want than on what God wants.

God does not contradict Himself, so He will never give us an opportunity that goes against what He has already commanded in the Bible.

While an opportunity may appear to be an answer to our prayer, we can never be sure until we have consulted with God first and considered our motives.

Reflect:

• Are you about to walk through an open door? Have you asked for God’s guidance?
• What next step do you need to take so you can be more focused on what God wants for you than on what you want for yourself?