When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold. Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you and them over to me?” The LORD answered him, “Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.” So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, “As waters break out, the LORD has broken out against my enemies before me.” So that place was called Baal Perazim. The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off. Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the LORD, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees. As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, move quickly, because that will mean the LORD has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” So David did as the LORD commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
II Samuel 5:17-25
David inquired of the Lord, and he was successful in all that he did. When the Philistine army searched for him, he asked the Lord what to do.
God told him to attack and that he would defeat the Philistines. Again the Philistines approached David and his men, and again David inquired of the Lord. This time, the Lord gave him specific instructions for attack, and once again David was successful.
It takes courage to step out in obedience to God, but it takes more than courage. It takes knowing that God has called you to do something.
Like David, we must seek the Lord daily as we endeavor to follow Him. The problem is that we are not always sure that the Lord is calling us to action.
We may fear that we didn’t hear Him correctly, or that it was just our own good idea. I do several things as I seek to know God’s will: I pray and fast, check to see if it lines up with Scripture, seek godly counsel, and look to see if circumstances line up. Finally, I check to see if I have peace about my decision. If I sense a green light after going through these steps, then I take action. We often want the Lord to write the steps out in bold letters!
However, as courageous leaders, we must walk by faith and not by sight.
Joshua was told by God to follow the Ark into the Jordan. Then the waters parted. If the Israelites had not put their feet in the water, they would still be beside the riverbank. We need to make the verse in Proverbs our motto, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5)
Do you face a decision today? Like David, inquire of the Lord and He will direct your path.
Heavenly Father, Help me to know Your will today. Lead me in my decision making and help me to obey. In Jesus’ name, Amen
