Two Options in a Crisis
“But Tomlinson, why are you taking it out on David? He’s in the same boat as we are. They raided his home too. He lost everything too. Yes, they kidnapped his wife and children too. We’re not the only ones. We’re all in this together.”
“I don’t care. If he had been a better leader and had he covered all the bases and had he thought about how unprotected our village was and had he never got involved with Achish and well, had he gotten direction from his God we wouldn’t be in this horrible mess. He’s all to blame and he’s got to pay for it. He’s not getting off with this. He’s finished as our leader. I’ve got a petition going around. If we get enough names on it, he’s toast. We’re going to stone him to death.”
I’m not sure about the petition but they spread the word around and before long the whisper campaign grew into a threatened brutal stoning of David. David had been the one who had shown an interest in this group of men who previously had been going nowhere fast. Until they met David, they were losers. Discontented, over their heads in debt and social wrecks. David was changing their lives and their future with him as a reigning King would be bright.
But when they hit a bump in their journey – when the clouds of crisis swirled around them, they turned against David, blaming him for all their troubles.
Are you blaming others for the condition you are in? Are you pointing fingers at others for your spiritual condition and where you are just now on the road home to Heaven? Have you hit a bump – perhaps a huge bump? And how are you handling it? Are you pointing accusatory fingers? What are you cooking on the stove? Are you boiling bitterness?
There is only one letter in the difference between BITTER and BETTER. It is the difference between simply an ‘I’ and an ‘E’ – just a different vowel. But what a difference that one vowel makes in the outcome of a crisis. Which are you becoming in this difficult time? Bitter or better?
The spiritual person who turns to the Lord in a crisis and submits to His will and seeks to learn from the trials becomes ‘better’ – not ‘bitter.’ (Hebrews 12:11)
David lost his house and belongings too. David’s wife and children were kidnapped too. And if that wasn’t bad enough, his trial was compounded by his own men turning against him. How did he handle it?
And David was greatly distressed;
for the people spake of stoning him,
because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters:
but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
(1Samuel 30:6)
The true test of spirituality is our behaviour in difficult times. Packing your bags and leaving is one option. Staying in order to be a thorn in their side is a variation of the same negative option. Or getting alone with the Lord your God to be strengthened by HIM in order to strengthen others is another option. That’s the one David chose.
Which option do you think is the most God-honoring option? Which option are you pursuing?
Walk carefully and closely with the Lord today.
Warmly in Christ
Peter Ramsay