Daily Devotional for Saturday, December 2

David’s Foes

“And David enquired of God, saying, Shall I go up against the Philistines? And wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto him, Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand,” 1 Chronicles 14:10.

Once the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king, they searched for him, and when David heard that they were looking for him, he went out to challenge them (1 Chronicles 14:8). However, David did not try to fight against the Philistines by himself. David sought God’s counsel. Notice God’s response to David’s question. “And the Lord said unto him, Go up” (verse 10). God did not tell David to consult with his captains or gather up all his mighty men, and he did not tell David to run and hide. God told him to “go up” and face the Philistines. Understand that the Philistine army was no small opponent. The Philistines had raided the valley of Rephaim (verse 9), and David may have seen this threat as physically insurmountable. But he was not concerned, because he knew God could take care of it. God assured David, “I will deliver them into thine hand” (verse 10).

Sometimes we face big problems. David had faced Goliath early in his life, and Goliath was literally a big problem that God handled, so David knew what to do. He knew to rely on God. I have faced many challenges in my life, and God has always been faithful to see me through them. I am sure your experiences are similar. Despite being defeated in the first battle (verse 11), the Philistines came back for more. Once again, David sought God’s counsel (verse 14). This time the plan was different, but the outcome was the same. God smote the Philistines (verse 15).

JUST A THOUGHT: David trusted God enough to seek His counsel. He knew God could handle his problems. Do you trust God enough to let Him fight your battles?

Chris Floyd