I find if I am in the company of leaders that fire off idea after idea; “you could do this or that” or give you lists of things you could do to change your church from its 35 members to a mega church of 1000s I can get somewhat overwhelmed and shrink back. There are so many good ideas, but which is the right one, which is the right one for us? So many of us have watched churches do something and get success, then try and do the same only to find nothing changes.
David’s next challenge does not come from the temper-filled Saul but the Philistines. They cross the border and attack the town of Keilah. It’s three miles from where David is in the cave of Adullam, he can almost hear it and smell it, what does he do? Keep his head down, after all Saul is still after his life or help the people of Keilah?
What did David do? David inquired of the Lord. David was known as a man after God’s own heart. He always wanted to know what the Lord wanted, and once he discovered that, He sought to do it with God’s help.
Therefore David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines and save Keilah.” 1 Samuel 23:2
Then David inquired of the LORD again. And the LORD answered him, “Arise, go down to Keilah, for I will give the Philistines into your hand.” 1 Samuel 23:4
From verse 10 to verse 12 David asked the Lord huge questions. This was not something that was for this one-off serious occasion. It was a lifestyle of enquiring of the Lord.
And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” 1 Samuel 30:8
After this David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” 2 Samuel 2:1
And David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to David, “Go up, for I will certainly give the Philistines into your hand.” 2 Samuel 5:19
And when David inquired of the LORD, he said, “You shall not go up; go around to their rear, and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 2 Samuel 5:23
David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 2 Samuel 12:16
And David inquired of God, “Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will you give them into my hand?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up, and I will give them into your hand.” 1 Chronicles 14:10
And when David again inquired of God, God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. 1 Chronicles 14:14
And David built there an altar to the LORD and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the LORD, and the LORD answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering. Then the LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back into its sheath. At that time, when David saw that the LORD had answered him at the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, he sacrificed there. For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of burnt offering were at that time in the high place at Gibeon, but David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid of the sword of the angel of the LORD. 1 Chronicles 21:26-30
It’s only right that at this time of huge change that we stop what we are doing or looking at what others are doing and inquire of the Lord about the matters that concern us, our church, our town, our nation. How many people inquire of the Lord before making decisions? I will let you answer that one. May the Lord help us to have the heart of David.
God answered David, gave him personal instructions to follow, it was not a plan for all but a plan unique to him. I believe as we stop to inquire of the Lord he will reveal to us something exciting and unique for us as Gateway Church Wrexham.
Please take time to pray for the prophetic gift to rise amongst us.
Yes, we sincerely need to pray to know and follow God’s Will in these hard and difficult times.
One of my favourite quotes about the Will of God comes from the first two lines of the first stanza of the poem below. Thanks to the internet search engine called “Google”, I found and read the full poem for first time in many years. No doubt, new insights can be gained and/or existing knowledge can be reinforced as one reads and reflects on the words thereof.
– The Will of God –
The will of God will never take you,
Where the grace of God cannot keep you,
Where the arms of God cannot support you,
Where the riches of God cannot supply your needs,
Where the power of God cannot endow you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the Spirit of God cannot work through you,
Where the wisdom of God cannot teach you,
Where the army of God cannot protect you,
Where the hands of God cannot mould you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the love of God cannot enfold you,
Where the mercies of God cannot sustain you,
Where the peace of God cannot calm your fears,
Where the authority of God cannot overrule for you.
The will of God will never take you,
Where the comfort of God cannot dry your tears,
Where the Word of God cannot feed you,
Where the miracles of God cannot be done for you,
Where the omnipresence of God cannot find you.
Author: Anonymous
Thanks a lot for sharing.