Seek God's Guidance

 Then they told David saying, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah, and they are robbing the threshing floors.”

  Therefore David enquired of the LORD saying, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah?”

   And the LORD said to David, “Go and attack the Philistines, and save Keilah.”

   But David’s men said to him, “Look, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we go to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?” Then David enquired of the LORD once again.

   And the LORD answered him and said, “Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.” And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, struck them with a mighty blow, and took away their livestock. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

   Now it happened, when Abiathar, the son of Abimilech fled to David at Keilah, that he went down with an ephod in his hand.

   And Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah. So Saul said, “God has delivered him into my hand, for he has shut himself in by entering a town that has gates and bars.” Then Saul called all the people together for war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

   When David saw that Saul plotted evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.” Then David said, “O LORD God of Israel, Your servant has certainly heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake. Will the men of Keilah deliver me into his hand? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? O LORD God of Israel, I pray, tell Your servant.”

   And the LORD said, “He will come down.”

   Then David said, “Will the men of Keilah deliver me into the hand of Saul?”

   And the LORD said, “They will deliver you.”

   So David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed from Keilah and went wherever they could go. Then it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; so he halted the expedition.

   And David stayed in strongholds in the wilderness, and remained in the mountains in the wilderness of Ziph. Saul sought him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand. 1 Samuel 23:1-14

 

Father in heaven, thank You for giving this written record of David's life as an example for us to live by today. Teach us to be like David and constantly go to You to enquire about what You want us to do. There are so many good causes all around us to give our money, time and energy to but only You know the specific ones You want us involved in. You are interested in every detail of our lives. You have specific purpose for each of our lives and if we wander off on to our own course we can’t be in the right place at the right time for Your service.

Please show us when a place, a situation is no longer safe for us, perhaps physically, perhaps spiritually; it’s time for us to move out and move on.

Thank You also for warning us through Saul’s life. Previously to this time in his jealousy and hatred of David he had murdered all Your priests. Yet here he is saying that You have delivered David into his hands. Show us our own deceptive thoughts and beliefs.

Thank You that we no longer need a priest with an ephod to get answers from You. Thank You that Jesus, our great High Priest is with each one of us to personally direct us through His own Spirit. Thank You that as our Shepherd He calls us by our names, leads us out goes before us. We bring our decisions and plans for this day to Him and wait to hear His voice.

In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

 

Supporting Verses

 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition (margin = instruction), upon whom the ends of the world have come. 1 Corinthians 10:11

 

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will guide you with my eye.

Psalm 32:8

 

For this is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide

Even to death.

Psalm 48:14

 

Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,

For in You do I trust;

Cause me to know the way in which I should walk,

For I lift up my soul to You.

Psalm 143:8

 

Trust in the LORD with all Your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And he shall direct your paths

Proverbs 3:5-6

But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers………………I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own………And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring; and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd………..My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My Father’s hand. John 10:2-5, 14, 16, 27-28