Preschool
Be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23
- Seeking Advice from God
Memory Verses
Primary
Ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23
Junior
But if ye will not do so, behold, Ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23
Background Scripture: 2 Samuel 5:17-25; 1 Chronicles 14:8-17
Lesson Scripture: 2 Samuel 5:17-21; 1 Chronicles 14:13-17
Introduction
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov. 3:5-6).
God longs to lead us, and He loves it when we acknowledge our need of His daily guidance. He will not force His advice on us; rather, He patiently waits for us to ask. The above verse encourages us to seek His advice in all our ways. In this technological age of available information, we can obtain advice on virtually any subject. However, let us be diligent to seek advice from our heavenly Father first of all.
Key Verse
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people (Exod. 33:13).
Lesson Scripture
2 Samuel 5:17 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold.
18 The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim.
19 And David enquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.
20 And David came to Baal-perazim, and David smote them there, and said, The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baal-perazim.
21 And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.
1 Chronicles 14:13 And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.
14 Therefore David enquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them; turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.
15 And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle: for God is gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines.
16 David therefore did as God commanded him: and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gazer.
17 And the fame of David went out into all lands; and the Lord brought the fear of him upon all nations.
Studying the Lesson
Our lesson scripture today is from a tumultuous time in the history of the children of Israel. The Philistine army had recently triumphed over the Israelites in what they considered to be a tremendous victory. King Saul’s three sons had been killed in battle by the Philistines. Saul and his armor-bearer, realizing death was imminent, each took their lives. Men who considered themselves loyal to David assassinated Ishbosheth, whom they thought might try to become king in his father’s stead. Abner, Saul’s cousin and commander-in-chief of his army, was also killed.
During this turbulent time, the elders of Israel anointed David as king. The news of a newly chosen king in Israel traveled quickly to the Philistines. Mindful of their recent victory over the Israelites, they decided to attack again. Surely victory was assured. How could a newly anointed king and badly beaten army even be a challenge?
David keenly felt his need of God. He first went “down to the hold.” In today’s language, we perhaps would say he went to his secret closet of prayer. There he earnestly sought God’s will. The answer was clear: “Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand.” The Israelites secured a great victory that day.
The Philistines regrouped, possibly thinking they had made tactical errors. They assembled as before, camping just a few miles west of Jerusalem. Their close presence was obviously of great concern to David. He could have thought he would go and defeat them as before. But first he sought God’s face again.
Again, God was pleased to give advice to a sincere, seeking soul. This time, however, the advice was completely different. David and his men were to circle around and wait in the forest behind the Philistine army. God caused them to hear a great noise, and as they fled in fear, the Israelites subdued a confused, panicked Philistine army.
The secret of success is found in 2 Samuel 5:25, “And David did so, as the Lord had commanded him.”
Practical Truths for Today
We must be in touch with God on the heart level to have a successful Christian life. The enemy of our soul is merciless, and he is seeking all whom he may devour. He knows his time is short and that eternal hellfire will be his ultimate destiny. He is determined to take as many souls with him to hell as possible. In his fight against God, Satan often focuses on deceiving the Christian with his many and varied tactics, including pietistic or self-righteous living. An independent attitude lends itself to living without feeling the need of others’ advice.
Because true Christianity is a heart religion, Satan strikes at the heart. He suggests to the follower of God that God is not interested in the details of his life. Believing this untruth brings a casual approach to Christian living, which is one of Satan’s ploys. Perhaps we live in a way that does not attract the attention of our brethren. Inwardly and in our daily walk of life, we, however, allow things that the church has cautioned against. Therefore,, when we need to make decisions, we do what seems best to us intellectually without seeking God’s will. This approach quickly leads to a life of spiritual defeat; after repeated failures, some people finally say it is not worth the trouble to be a surrendered, inspired disciple of Jesus.
David felt he needed God and knew he was no match for Satan. This led him to earnestly seek advice in prayer. He could have fallen back on his many previous experiences of fighting the Philistines, including the defeat of Goliath. However, he knew his enemy was cunning and wise and that to secure victory, he must have help from above.
How do we respond when the Lord reveals something in our life that He is not pleased with? We should turn to Him with humble hearts and truly seek His advice on how to deal with it, and then follow His counsel. To acknowledge our need of God is the secret to finding answers to the problems we face. Anything less than a fully surrendered heart will make it difficult to prove the direction that God offers. When God sends conviction for correction in our life, let us seek Him with all our heart.
Questions are considered during brotherly council meetings, area ministers’ and deacons’ meetings, annual meetings, and General Conferences. We as brethren in the church of God share the responsibility to prove God’s will for our time. Older leaders and brethren speak with the perspective of years of experience. Younger brethren may better understand the current situation. Someone may refer to how God at an earlier time spoke on a similar matter, thinking that the direction for the present time would be the same. Though experience is helpful, sometimes the direction we get from God is for a specific time and place. Together, we must seek direction from God to understand His will for our time.
Many books have been written on marriage relationships and child nurture. When child training is not going well in the home, parents can find well-meaning articles on the internet that offer them many ideas. Though some good may be found in these resources, they are not dependable for us in those things of our lives that have eternal consequences. However, we can depend on the Bible as inspired by the Holy Spirit and interpreted by the counsel of the church. Godly advice comes through the Holy Spirit in Sunday school, the preaching of His Word, and the brotherhood. He speaks to young Christians through parents, youth leaders, as well as godly peers.
Some interstate highways have many lanes. The ditches are far apart. When we travel on such a road, the term “middle of the road” may be a relative term. Missionaries who travel to visit someone may walk down a path that is only 12-18 inches wide. One small misstep after dark will take a casual walker off the path immediately. God desires His children to have a constant connection with their heavenly Father to walk in the middle of the road.
The Lord wants His people to be victorious, and we need not fear. God led the children of Israel by night and by day from Egypt to Canaan. He will lead us through this ever-changing world as we seek His counsel. The Holy Spirit will show us the way.
Questions
- What hinders me from seeking advice?
- What should I do when I think God has spoken to me on an issue, but my brethren have completely different light for me?
- How do we help someone who claims to be following advice from God, yet it clearly goes against the teachings of the church?
- Not a subscriber? Subscribe here Unsubscribe
Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).