I Samuel 17:28
“Eliab, his older brother, heard David fraternizing with the men and lost his temper: ‘What are you doing here! Why aren’t you minding your own business, tending that scrawny flock of sheep? I know what you’re up to. You’ve come down here to see the sights, hoping for a ringside seat at a bloody battle!’”
“But when David’s oldest brother, Eliab, heard David talking to the men, he was angry. ‘What are you doing around here anyway?’ he demanded. ‘What about those few sheep you’re supposed to be taking care of? I know about your pride and deceit. You just want to see the battle!’”
Choosing God’s way often leads us to these kinds of situations. Eliab was still smarting from the sting of being overlooked at Samuel’s anointing of David. When David was called to step outside Eliab’s firstborn leadership, insecurity became jealousy. Jealousy manipulated the facts, turning right motivation into wrong. Resist the siren call to bow to other’s opinions, good or bad. Instead, having chosen God, keep your ear tuned to him.
Lord, so many things call for my attention. In the heat of the moment, it is hard to pick the right one. Help me to choose wisely before I am even aware of the choosing.