1 Samuel 27:12
“And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant for ever.”
Many electronic products have warning lights to warn you that something is going bad. The purpose of the warning light is to get you to stop what you are doing so that you don’t destroy the product. You can choose to ignore the warning, but you will pay for it when it’s broken.
It would be nice in life if we could have warning lights on the decisions that we make. I believe that most people want to do right. Often, when I counsel people, they desire to want to know if they are doing the right thing. In reality, they want me to be the warning light concerning the decision they are about to make.
God didn’t make us with warning lights. No light flashes when we are about to make a mistake. However, the story of David running to the Philistines gives the Christian several warning lights concerning decision-making. David had his fair share of bad decisions. Yes, he was the man after God’s own heart, but that didn’t make him impervious to bad decisions. It was a bad decision to join the Philistines in order to save his life. Four indicators are given in this decision that should be your warning light that you are making a bad decision.
First, when you are making a decision based on how it benefits self rather than right or wrong, you are about to make a bad decision. The reason David ran to the Philistines was because he was running for his life. Selfishness always leads you to make bad decisions. If your decision is based on self, the warning light should be flashing not to make that decision. You should always base a decision on right or wrong; they should never be based on how you benefit from them.
Second, a decision that takes you from God’s people is always a bad decision. David ran to the enemy of God instead of running to the God Who preserved him to that point. Right decisions always push you closer to God’s people. Right decisions take you towards God and away from the world. Your mental warning light should flash when a decision is going to take you away from the right crowd.
Third, it is always a bad decision when you are concerned with who will find out. David killed everyone when he fought for the Philistines because he didn’t want anyone to find out. Proverbs 28:1 reminds us, “The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” If you are making the right decision, you won’t care who finds out what you are doing. When you have to hide what you are doing, that act alone should be your warning that you are not doing the right thing.
Fourth, bad decision pull you away from what God meant you to be. David was meant to lead Israel, but he was fighting for the enemy. When your decisions pull you away from what you know is right and from what God has called you to do, it should be the indicator that you shouldn’t do it. A right decision will draw you closer to God and help you do more of what God has called you to do.
My friend, you don’t have a physical warning light, but God gave you a mental warning light that is calibrated from His Word. If you study God’s Word regularly, your mental warning light will flash when you are about to make a wrong and hurtful decision. You would be wise to heed the warning light.