It was hard to miss. David’s men saw it. Even David saw it. Saul had been delivered over to David and his men in what was obviously a work of God. Surely God had led Saul into that specific cave for a specific purpose: for David to vanquish his opponent. But had He? As David crept up on Saul, Israel’s king, he remembered something important: Saul was God’s anointed one. How could he raise a hand against the person God had chosen, even if that man was pursuing him, desiring to kill him?

There are times when an opportunity or situation looks to be from God, and we respond like David and his men in the cave. Surely this is of the Lord! But we need to be careful because the situation may not be what it seems. Sometimes a situation seems too good to be true because it is. Sometimes what appears to be a gift before us is actually a potential curse; sometimes what appears to be a curse before us is actually a potential gift. How will we know the difference? Only by seeking the face of the Lord and trusting in His guidance and not our own perceptions.

When have you experienced something you thought was good only to discover it was not? How about the opposite? What was God doing in those situations?