“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. So David went up…” 2 Samuel 2:1-2a
The story of David in the Old Testament is a remarkable one. David was the youngest of eight sons, yet Samuel the prophet priest anoints him as Israel’s next king. The only problem was, Saul was still king. Later David is used of God to slay the giant, Goliath. It wasn’t long before the people were praising David for his exploits over the exploits of King Saul. This enrages the king who had earlier been rejected by God as His choice of king. Out of jealousy Saul began to seek David’s life. Thus David ran for his life, hiding out wherever he could. In the ensuing months and years David had a couple of opportunities to take the life of Saul but refused to do so. When we come to 2 Samuel chapter 2 Saul, the pursuer of David, has been killed in battle. No longer is David on the “Wanted Posters”. So he inquires of the Lord if it is safe to go back into Israel to live. The Lord says, “Yes”. And then David asks the Lord where would He like for David to live and God tells him.
The reason I share this story about David is to use that as a lead in to some thought provoking questions I’d like to ask you today. Is David any better than you? I mean seriously, is this man who would later become king, any better than you? You’re probably aware of his later adultery with Bathsheba and his orders to have her husband killed. Is he any better than you? I do not think he was better than you. That being the case, notice how he carried on a conversation with God Almighty [Scriptures above]. In fact, throughout his recorded life he was consistently carrying on conversations with God, with him speaking and God speaking. So here is my second question. Do you think it is possible for you to carry on a back-and-forth conversation with God? Our daughter-in-law, Janice, told us about a recent incident involving 4½ year old Jessica. They had arrived home in the evening and the two oldest kids bounded out of the van and went inside. Janice starts to proceed inside but realizes Jessica is not coming. She goes back out into the garage and hears the tail end of a conversation taking place outside. With her hands raised upward Jessica is saying, “You hear that God? Good! I’m done.” Then with a smile on her face she starts back inside. Mom asks her what she was doing. “I was just talking to God up in the skies”. If David and little Jessica can have an intimate conversation with God, why can’t we? So thirdly, Why can’t we have those conversations all the time with our heavenly Father? Like David we should be seeking God’s guidance on each step and decision we make.
Can you imagine the conversation in heaven prior to the first Christmas? “Father, is it almost time for me to go to earth to die?” Jesus asks the Father. “Yes Son it is”, the Father replies. “Is there any other way for You to forgive men’s sins than for Me to die and take the punishment those sins deserve upon Myself?” the Son asks. “There is no other way. All people have sinned and each will die in his or her sins if You do not go Son” the Father says with compassion. A long pause follows, broken by the Son’s “Yes, My Father, I will go”.
Throughout Jesus’ earthly ministry there was constant dialogue with His Father about the next step toward the cross. Even in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus and the Father are in dialogue about His death on your behalf. Can we respond to such love with anything less than a new commitment to be in constant dialogue with our Father above? Will you end this year by making that commitment to carry on a moment-by-moment conversation with the Lord? Will you seek the Lord’s guidance on every big and every small detail of your life? Will you be totally committed to following him in everything?…So David went…
Got to go, God is on the other line
Pastor Steve