Don't Assume, Get the Facts

# 360 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 26:3,4, “And Saul encamped in the hill of Hachilah, which is opposite Jeshimon, by the road. But David stayed in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness. 4 David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had indeed come.” Saul continues his on again off again pursuit of David. Today I want to spend a little time noting David's response. In verse three, we read that David “saw that Saul was coming after him.” Then in verse four we read “therefore,” in other words “because” David observed that Saul was coming after him, he sent out spies, and his spies then reported back to him confirming the report. “Saul indeed has come!” David noticed the activity of Saul, but even though it was likely that Saul was after him, he didn't just make that assumption. Rather, he sent spies to find out what Saul's objective was. The spies, (more than one, (two or three witnesses if you will) Were able to confirm to David, that Saul was indeed seeking military engagement. This is such a valuable lesson for all of us. It is so much easier to act on assumptions rather than getting involved to the point of actually knowing all the facts. We see it all the time on Facebook and other social media. Someone gets righteously riled up by a post and immediately re-post’s it as gospel truth. Or we hear the rumors around the water cooler at work, or in the narthex and lobbies of churches, and even in our prayer circles, and tongues start to wag. Oh the damage that is done when we speak and act on mere assumptions. We need to get a lot better at closing our yappers until we have gotten all the facts. Pr 18:13 says, “He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.” And in Pr 24:28 we read, “Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, For would you deceive with your lips?” And in De 19:15 we read, "One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established. Father, forgive me for all the times I have spoken hastily. Holy Spirit guard my lips today from speaking before I know all the facts.