Word of Encouragement (10/17/2023)

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 Sam. 5:19)

By now, we are familiar with David’s inquiries to God at critical moments of his life. So, what more can we say about these inquiries?

I think the timing of this inquiry is important. David made this inquiry after he became king of Israel. We can see how it was more “natural” for David to seek God’s will when he was in a more precarious situation as a fugitive. With so many things out of his control, humility came easier and so did his need to seek God’s will. But David did not lose this posture of humility even after he became king.

This was wise of him. Our fortunes change. Our external circumstances shift constantly. But through them all, our place in relation to God never changes. He is the Creator and we are His creatures. He is the sovereign Lord, who preserves and governs all His creatures and all their actions (WSC, #11). He decreed all things according to the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11), and He never fails to accomplish His purpose (Isa. 55:11). He directs the course of human history and our affairs to His intended end without fail. All that we are and have are by the grace of God (1 Cor. 15:10). We can do nothing apart from Him (John 15:5). It is only right that we seek His will and not lean on our own understanding. The fact that David was crowned as king of Israel did not change his dependence on the Lord, and he knew this very well.

How are we doing in this department? Do we pray, seeking God’s guidance and help on our bended knees only when we are in trouble? The moment things improve, do we straighten our knees and follow our own understanding and expertise? How is this different from the kind of impersonal relationship we have with body shop mechanics or clerks at the DMV? Are you satisfied with that kind of merely transactional relationship with God? Shouldn’t we seek a more personal and meaningful relationship with the most powerful and majestic and beautiful Being of all? Isn’t this a great privilege? How can we expect to have that kind of privilege unless God graciously offered it to us?

You may say, “But what’s the point? God never answers me as He did for David!” But what is it that we really want? Just the right answers concerning what we should do or God’s guiding hands? And is God not able to guide our steps whether we see or feel His hands or not? Yes-and-no answers are what children need. A mature relationship is characterized by the union of hearts and minds and souls. How does this come about? They say that we learn better, not when we are given the answers but when we discover the answers for ourselves. As we wrestle with what we already know about God through the Scriptures and what is going on in our lives, we come to have a deeper understanding of God’s will. In the meantime, God will not fail to guide us in His ways. Let us not also forget how our attitude of humility and reliance upon God pleases Him! Will He not guide us in His tender care for those who look to Him in hope and trust? Let us seek His will always in humble reliance upon Him in prayerfulness.

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