“And David inquired of the Lord, saying, shall I go up to the Philistines? Will thou deliver them into mine hand? And the Lord said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hands” – 2 Samuel 5:19 (KJV)
If we must fulfill our God-given destiny, one thing we must learn to develop is sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit holds the key to our inheritance in God and our redemptive benefits. A close walk with him will ensure direction in times of decision and guidance in our choices. We cannot afford to grope in the dark and stumble in the noon day when we have the Holy Spirit whose ministry it is to teach us and guide us into all truth. Unfortunately, many believers are so insensitive to the leading and voice of the Holy Spirit. To some, the Holy Spirit is a total stranger. They go through life in gross darkness ignoring the Holy Spirit, because of lack of intimacy with him. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shall be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children” – Hosea 4:6(KJV). The Holy Spirit is our partner in the Christian walk. For lack of knowledge of his person and his operations, most people continue to grieve him by completely ignoring him or constantly disobeying him. He desires to fellowship with us and help us reach our God-given destiny if we will be sensitive enough to acknowledge him and yield to his leadings.
David was a skillful and experience warrior but has learnt that battle axe is prepared for war but victory is of the Lord. He inquired of the Lord and the Lord assured him of victory over the Philistines at Baal-Perazim. When the Philistines came up again in the valley of Rephiam, one could have gone again to battle as at before concluding that there is no need to inquire again of the Lord but that could be grave mistake because God has different strategies. His ways are past finding out. David inquired again of the Lord but this time, the response was different. “And when David inquired of the Lord and he said, thou shall not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. And let it be when thou heareth the sound of a going in the top of the mulberry trees that then, thou shalt bestir thyself: for then shall the Lord go out before thee, to smite the host of the Philistines” – 2 Samuel 5:23-24 (KJV).
If David had worked with past experience, he probably would have missed God and he would be on his own in the battle. As we learn to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and trust in the Lord with all our hearts and not lean on our own understanding but acknowledge him in all our ways, he will direct our path (Isaiah 3:5-6).
Prayer: Lord, increase my sensitivity to the Holy Spirit.
Rev. Vincent Diolu