First and Foremost

"So David asked God, "Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?"The LORD replied, "Yes, go ahead. I will hand them over to you." …But after a while the Philistines returned and raided the valley again. And once again David asked God what to do. "Do not attack them straight on," God replied. "Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees." … So David did what God commanded, and they struck down the Philistine army all the way from Gibeon to Gezer." 1 Chronicles 14:10, 13–14, 16

I received this verse as my daily encouragement today. It had such a great message to followup with the Desiring Greatness blog. David was a great man because he was anointed by God and was a man after God's own heart. He wasn't perfect, but God put him in a position of great power and authority for HIS purpose.

Now, notice here in these verses what David did as he faced battle against the Philistines. His very first action was to seek God's guidance! Unlike Saul, David sought God's guidance and then David obeyed! And, as a result of David's obedience, God gave the victory to David and the Israelites. But notice what happens later on. The Philistines returned. David and the Israelites already fought these dudes once and won. They knew how to beat these guys - or did they? David didn't assume he knew God's plan. He wanted to KNOW God's plan without a shadow of a doubt.

There's actually a couple of important points we can take from this. First, all too often, we fail to seek God's guidance and presence until we are in trouble. We only turn to God in desperate times to pull us out of the hole we've dug ourselves into. Instead, we should seek God in all circumstances at all times. We can receive God's supernatural help and His great presence, not to mention avoid trouble for ourselves, if we just take a moment to stop and ask Him for guidance!

The second point that this passage brings to my attention is the fact that David made no assumptions about what God's will was when facing the Philistines for a second time. How often do we assume what God wants us to do without truly seeking His guidance and input on the matter? How often do we superimpose our will over His? Some of us may be in denial, but let's be honest here, it's probably more than we'd really like to admit to ourselves. I myself am guilty of this at times. It's a human frailty.

So, in desiring to do something great for God, we must commit to seeking His guidance first and foremost, then following through with obedience. We must also remember to give Him the credit for the victories that He accomplishes through us, no matter how big or small.

He loves you so very much! Grace and Peace!

In His Love, Cathy