[Saul] came to the sheep pens along the way; a cave was there, and Saul went in to relieve himself. David and his men were far back in the cave. The men said, “This is the day the Lord spoke of when he said to you, ‘I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.’”
- 1 Samuel 24:3-4
 
What a moment! Imagine what this would feel like if you were one of David’s warriors. You’re being chased by mad King Saul and 3000 soldiers through the desert, you end up hiding in a cave, and then the king himself walks in … alone, unarmed, vulnerable.
 
Maybe David and his warriors had been praying. This would have felt like an answer to prayer. Maybe they’d been strategizing. This would have felt like an opportunity to throw those strategies away. Maybe they’d given up. This would have rekindled hope.
 
Saul, the giant of Israel and David’s gigantic opponent, had been given into his hands. What would David do?
 
He didn’t act decisively. He held back for some reason. So, his men tried to encourage him, to give him some perspective. 
 
There’s no record of the Lord saying to David: “I will give your enemy into your hands for you to deal with as you wish.” Perhaps these desperate men made up a prophecy or misremembered one. We just don’t know.
 
What we do know is that even that permissive prophecy hinges on the heart of David. If that message from the Lord was actually given to David, David would not be under compulsion to kill Saul, to murder the mad king, to stab him in the back. David would be free to act as his heart desires.
 
Moments like these reveal what’s inside of us. What do we choose to do in the opportune moment? What do you choose to do when you’re flush with cash? What do you choose to do when the know-it-all makes a mistake? What do you do when you find yourself in a position of power?
 
Our prayer for you is that you would discover that the Lord has been growing generosity, mercy, and kindness inside you when you find yourself in those decisive moments. 
 
And if you discover rougher, darker, more challenging things inside you in those moments – we all do sometimes – may you receive the generosity, mercy, and kindness of the Lord: who treats us with more kindness than we deserve, showing us mercy when we’re vulnerable, and generously giving us his Spirit to change and empower us.