{"id":33357,"date":"2024-11-11T22:00:44","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T05:00:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/1-samuel-22_11-23-copy\/"},"modified":"2024-10-29T15:05:11","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T22:05:11","slug":"1-samuel-23_1-14","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/1-samuel-23_1-14\/","title":{"rendered":"The Right Way and the Wrong Way to Discern God’s Will"},"content":{"rendered":"

1 Samuel 23:1-14 \u00a0 (CLICK HERE FOR\u00a0BIBLE VERSES)<\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 1 Samuel 23:1-14.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.\u00a0 See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!<\/p>\n

1<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Samuel<\/em><\/strong>\u00a023<\/em><\/strong>:<\/em><\/strong>1<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>
\n1<\/sup>\u00a0<\/em>When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,”<\/em><\/p>\n

On verse\u00a01:\u00a0 The name Keilah probably means \u201cfortress\u201d.\u00a0 Yet the Philistines seemed to have no problem attacking and looting this Israelite city.\u00a0 This tells me 2 things.\u00a0 First, the only truly unbeatable fortress is God.\u00a0 Just as Keilah needed David\u2019s help, all of us, no matter how strong we think we are, need the help of Jesus, the Son of David, to save us.\u00a0 Jesus alone is the true Keilah, the only impenetrable fortress.<\/p>\n

Second, God has a heart for cities and towns, not just individuals or families.\u00a0 Just as God had a heart for the city of Keilah, so God has a heart for your city.<\/p>\n

1 Samuel 23:2-14 (NIV)<\/strong>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0he inquired of the\u00a0LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?” The\u00a0LORD\u00a0answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.”
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Once again David inquired of the\u00a0LORD, and the\u00a0LORD\u00a0answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.”
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0(Now Abiathar son of Ahimelech had brought the ephod down with him when he fled to David at Keilah.)
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.”
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
\n9\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.”
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0David said, “O\u00a0LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me.
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O\u00a0LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant.” And the\u00a0LORD\u00a0said, “He will.”
\n12\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?” And the\u00a0LORD\u00a0said, “They will.”
\n13\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
\n14\u00a0<\/sup>\u00a0David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.<\/em><\/p>\n

On verses 2-14:\u00a0 Here in this passage we see a major difference between David and Saul.\u00a0 First let\u2019s look at David.\u00a0 After a season of making big decisions without praying about them and causing himself and others to suffer as a result (see\u00a01\u00a0Samuel\u00a021 and 22), David decides that he will now inquire of God before taking another step.\u00a0 So when the Philistines attack the Israelite city of Keilah (v1), the first thing David does is \u201cinquire of the Lord\u201d (v2).\u00a0 God tells David to go save Keilah, but when David\u2019s men are afraid to go (v3), David \u201conce again inquired of the Lord<\/em>\u201d (v4).\u00a0 God reassures David that he should go rescue Keilah and that he will be successful.\u00a0 David and his men go and succeed in their rescue operation (v5).\u00a0 Then when David learns that Saul is plotting to ambush him in Keilah (v9), David inquires of God again (v9-11).\u00a0 God seems to say that David should leave Keilah because the people of Keilah will surrender David to Saul.\u00a0 When David is unsure of the answer he is getting from the Lord, he inquires of the Lord a fourth time and gets reassurance from God as to what he should do (v12).\u00a0 Based on that reassurance, David and his 600 men leave Keilah, moving from place to place and hiding in the wilderness and in the desert of Ziph (v13-14).<\/p>\n

Here in this short passage we see David on four separate occasions inquiring of God and seeking His guidance (v. 2, 4, 9-11, 12).\u00a0 Each time David wasn\u2019t sure about the answer he was getting from God, he would go back to God and ask Him again.<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0\u00a0Before you make any big decision that is going to affect your life and the lives of others, inquire of God.<\/strong>\u00a0 Seek His guidance.<\/p>\n

God is not here to confuse or mislead you.<\/strong>\u00a0 Sometimes the reason we ourselves are unsure of God’s answer is because we are set in our ways, or we are discouraged by the circumstances we see or affected by the opinions we hear.\u00a0\u00a0Like David, when you\u2019re not sure of the answer you\u2019re getting, ask God again<\/strong>\u00a0and trust that He will surely guide you in the best way.<\/p>\n

Contrast this to Saul.\u00a0 Whereas David was building the habit of inquiring of God for help and waiting for His response, Saul would simply look at his circumstances and presume that he already knew what God wanted him to do.\u00a0 Often he was wrong.\u00a0 For example, in verse 7 Saul concludes that God has delivered David into his hands simply on the basis that David is in Keilah, a town with gates and bars.\u00a0 Saul was wrong.\u00a0 God was not delivering David into Saul\u2019s hands; in fact, the opposite was taking place, God was protecting David such that \u201cday after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.\u201d (v14)<\/p>\n

What can we learn from this?\u00a0There is a right way and a wrong way to discern God’s will.<\/strong>\u00a0The immature Christian tries to discern God\u2019s will by focusing exclusively on their external circumstances, just like Saul did in verses 7-8.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In contrast,\u00a0the maturing Christian, like David, tries to discern God\u2019s will not by focusing outwardly on the external circumstances, but by listening inwardly to God\u2019s Word<\/strong>, seeking godly counsel, and waiting for God\u2019s still, small voice to speak to their heart.<\/p>\n

So when you\u2019re trying to discern God\u2019s will, do not just look at the external circumstances, which can be deceiving.\u00a0 Listen more for God\u2019s Word speaking to your heart, as affirmed by Scripture and godly people you trust and respect.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Holy Spirit, like David I pray that I would learn the habit of inquiring of You whenever I need to make big decisions.\u00a0 May I not look for Your will simply by looking at my circumstances, but by listening for Your Word, Your still small voice.\u00a0 Thank You that when I\u2019m not sure, I can ask You again and You will show me the way, just like You did with David.\u00a0 In Jesus\u2019 name, AMEN!<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2022 Justin Lim. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hi GAMErs,<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s passage is 1 Samuel 23:1-14.\u00a0 As usual,\u00a0I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.\u00a0 See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit\u2019s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.\u00a0 Let’s go!\u00a0<\/p>\n

1\u00a0Samuel\u00a023:1\u00a0(NIV)\u00a0
\n1\u00a0When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,”<\/p>\n

On verse\u00a01:\u00a0 The name Keilah probably means \u201cfortress\u201d.\u00a0 Yet the Philistines seemed to have no problem attacking and looting this Israelite city.\u00a0 This tells me 2 things.\u00a0 First, the only truly unbeatable fortress is God.\u00a0 Just as Keilah needed David\u2019s help, all of us, no matter how strong we think we are, need the help of Jesus, the Son of David, to save us.\u00a0 Jesus alone is the true Keilah, the only impenetrable fortress. \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33359,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-33357","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gametime-sharing"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33357","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33357"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33357\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33360,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33357\/revisions\/33360"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33359"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33357"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33357"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ocbf.ca\/2019\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33357"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}