Reflections on 2 Samuel

“David asked the Lord what he should do, and the Lord answered: Don’t attack them from the front. Circle around behind and attack from among the balsam trees. Wait until you hear a sound in the treetops like marching troops. Then attack quickly! That sound will mean I have marched out ahead of you to fight the Philistine army.” (5:23-24)

I think this story was my favorite from 2 Samuel as I read this time. Even just in these two verses so much wisdom came through along with reminders of God’s presence and power.

David asked the Lord what he should do.
Later on we see many cases where this was not true. We also hear of some specific ones where David acted before asking God what to do and it never really goes well. However, each time David stops and seeks God before acting, God shows up and answers. This was a great reminder as I went through this week to not act in my own ‘wisdom’ or experience, but to take moments to stop and seek God before moving forward. To be honest I wasn’t very good at it this week, but I pray it’s a habit I grow.

Don’t attack from the front.
I don’t know for sure, but I bet this is exactly the opposite of what David and his army would have planned. Isn’t that how it often works… God’s plans are completely different than our own, but WAY better!

Wait.
This is hard. I have a few big things I’m waiting for right now and it might be my least favorite part of it all. There is uncertainty in waiting. It’s filled with tension as the time when waiting will stop is often unclear and unknown. Waiting doesn’t mean we’re lazy or not doing anything though. The army still had a task to do:

Listen..then attack quickly.
They weren’t idly waiting for nothing. They had to be attentive, watchful and ready to move when the signal came. A quick response was necessary so their waiting was filled with anticipation and preparation.

God goes ahead of us.
Just as David was not alone in the battle, God goes before us in our daily life. When we’re in the seasons of watching and waiting, we’re watching and waiting for HIM. Running ahead in our own power just won’t work. Once we see or hear Him moving we jump in. That’s when the real victory takes place. He does all the work anyway, we just get to join in.