Marching Orders!!
Readings for the Day
2 Samuel 4-5, Psalm 139, Matthew 16
Verses for the Day
Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 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 poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
We see David defeating the Philistines, as he has been now made the King. We immediately see two things that David does right. First, before he attacks the Philistines he inquires of The Lord. Before he does anything he asks God if it is His will for David and his men to attack. And then he waits for God's answer.
In this case, God is very specific and tells them not to take them straight on, but circle around behind them before they attack. Then, we see something interesting in God's reply. He says as soon as you hear the sound of marching in the poplar trees, move quickly for The Lord has gone ahead of you.
Finally, the last reason for David's success was he did exactly what The Lord said. He didn't doubt, he didn't try to figure it out, he knew The Lord was ahead of him and that is all he needed. God even gave him a sign of His presence, the sound of marching on the tops of the trees. It was the armies of The Lord advancing to fight the enemy before David. You might say it was David's secret weapon.
I wonder how many of us step out to do things FOR The Lord before we inquire OF The Lord. Do we wait for God's sign that He has gone ahead of us? And how would we know He has gone ahead of us? Do we see even see the results when God is front of us. Our enemies are completely wiped out!!
What enemy are you facing? So often I know want to rush and meet it head on. But God may have another way of attacking our own worst enemy. Importantly have we asked God how we should fight it? Have we made sure he is out in front of us? We know one thing if God is for us, who can be against us. In a sense Jesus has already defeated all our enemies when he died on the cross and made a spectacle of them when he conquered sin, death and the power of the devil.
But until Jesus returns we still have an enemy who fights us and is bent on destroying us. But God has armed us with an array of spiritual weapons to fight the principalities of this present darkness.
2 Samuel 4-5, Psalm 139, Matthew 16
Verses for the Day
Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; 23 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 poplar trees. 24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army.” 25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer.
We see David defeating the Philistines, as he has been now made the King. We immediately see two things that David does right. First, before he attacks the Philistines he inquires of The Lord. Before he does anything he asks God if it is His will for David and his men to attack. And then he waits for God's answer.
In this case, God is very specific and tells them not to take them straight on, but circle around behind them before they attack. Then, we see something interesting in God's reply. He says as soon as you hear the sound of marching in the poplar trees, move quickly for The Lord has gone ahead of you.
Finally, the last reason for David's success was he did exactly what The Lord said. He didn't doubt, he didn't try to figure it out, he knew The Lord was ahead of him and that is all he needed. God even gave him a sign of His presence, the sound of marching on the tops of the trees. It was the armies of The Lord advancing to fight the enemy before David. You might say it was David's secret weapon.
I wonder how many of us step out to do things FOR The Lord before we inquire OF The Lord. Do we wait for God's sign that He has gone ahead of us? And how would we know He has gone ahead of us? Do we see even see the results when God is front of us. Our enemies are completely wiped out!!
What enemy are you facing? So often I know want to rush and meet it head on. But God may have another way of attacking our own worst enemy. Importantly have we asked God how we should fight it? Have we made sure he is out in front of us? We know one thing if God is for us, who can be against us. In a sense Jesus has already defeated all our enemies when he died on the cross and made a spectacle of them when he conquered sin, death and the power of the devil.
But until Jesus returns we still have an enemy who fights us and is bent on destroying us. But God has armed us with an array of spiritual weapons to fight the principalities of this present darkness.
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