Some time later, David inquired of the Lord: “Should I go to one of the towns of Judah?” The Lord answered him, “Go.” Then David asked, “Where should I go?” “To Hebron,” the Lord replied. So David went there with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelite and Abigail, the widow of Nabal the Carmelite. (2 Samuel 2:1-2)
In Chapter 2 following the death of Saul and Jonathan and David’s lament for him and his best friend, we see the door swing wide open for David to assume the kingship over Israel. After all, he was the one who was anointed by the prophet Samuel to be in that position, had the Holy Spirit upon him, and was the man after God’s own heart. Surely, these are all the grounds for Davis to stake his claim, right? Not so fast.
This moment in David’s life is perfect for analyzing the kind of relationship we should have with God the Father even in the midst of success and seeming clarity. Even though the pathway is so obviously clear, David still goes to God for assurance and wisdom, asking God if this moment was really the time to reign over Israel. David exemplifies what seems to be painful obedience and patience, but pain is far from it. He didn’t just want the earthly throne with God’s blessing, but to be a truly integral part of God’s plan. And that is the heart that we, too, should seek in all of our decisions.
Certainly God can drop blessings right into our lap, but more often not, we see his blessing through desiring to know his will and being in an intimate relationship with him and the Word of God which guides our decisions and directions in life. Like David, we will experience opportunities that seem crystal clear on what the next step will be, be it an advancement opportunity at work, a potential godly relationship, or decisions about your educational journey, but we should still certainly be patient, pray, seek godly counsel (Prov. 24:6), and rest in confidence in our good Father who in all things works for the good of those who love him and who have been called according to his purpose (Rom. 8:28).