Lately I've been reading about the life of King David in 1 & 2 Samuel. I do that from time to time and am always amazed at the things that stand out to me.
What jumps out reading the following verses, (I added the bold emphasis.)
1 Samuel 23:4 Once again David inquired of the Lord, and the Lord answered him, "Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand."
1 Samuel 30:8 and David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I pursue this raiding party? Will I overtake them?" "Pursue them," he answered. "You will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue."
2 Samuel 2:1 In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. "Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?" he asked. The Lord said, "Go up." David asked, "Where shall I go?" "To Hebron," the Lord answered.
2 Samuel 5:19 so David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?" The Lord answered him, "Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands."
(all emphasis mine)
David had a habit of asking the Lord about everything. Even when the choice seems obvious, he prayed about it!
But notice this one time when he did not. David wanted to bring the Ark into the city, but when he did they placed it on a cart. Sounded reasonable, right? Everyone was happy, celebrating, until a donkey pulling the cart stumbles, causing the Ark to be unsteady. A man named Uzzah reaches up to steady it, and is struck dead for touching the Ark.
Party over, and David was upset.
But instead of getting angry with God, David realized what the problem was. When he decided to move the Ark a second time, this is what he said.
"Then David summoned Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and Uriel, Asaiah, Joel, Shemaiah, Eliel and Amminadab the Levites. He said to them, "You are the heads of the Levitical families; you and your fellow Levites are to consecrate yourselves and bring up the ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, to the place I have prepared for it. It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way." 1 Chron 15:11-13(NIV, emphasis mine)
How many times do things go wrong in our life simply because we neglect to pray about it?
Worth thinking about.
