There’s a wonderful story in the Bible that speaks of the importance of asking God. It is a story about David before he was king, and during the time when he was running from the present, king, King Saul, who because of jealousy, wanted to kill David, who was actually anointed by the prophets to be king. So during that time in 1 Samuel 23:1-4.
I’m going to read this story to you. “One day news came to David that the Philistines were at a town called Keilah, stealing grain from the threshing floors. (They were stealing the food supply of David’s people) So David asked the LORD, ‘Should I go and attack them?’ ‘Yes, go and save Keilah,’ The LORD told him. But David’s men said to him, ‘We’re afraid here in Judah. Why should we go to Keilah and fight the whole Philistine army? We certainly can’t do that.’ So David asked the LORD again, and again, the LORD replied, ‘Go to Keilah for I will help you conquer the Philistines.'” So David and his men went to Keilah. They did conquer the Philistines, and they gave the town back to the people of that town. And King Saul found out that he and his men were there. So he said, “Aha! Now I’ve got them. I’m going to get them at this city.” So David, when he heard that Saul was coming, he went to the LORD and asked Him, “Will the men of Keilah betray me and give me over to Saul?'” And God said, “Yes, they will.” So David left the city with his men, and it probably saved his life and the lives of all his men.
So there are two interesting things about this story. When David’s men said, “No, we can’t do that,” David didn’t say, “Oh well, my men aren’t going to support me, so we can’t do it.” No. He went to the Lord again a second time. He had already asked the Lord, “Shall I go attack them?” And God said, “Yes.” He went back though men said no. He went back and said, “Lord, should I go?” And God said, “Yes. Go. I will give them into your hands.” So he asked the Lord. He didn’t go by the words of humans.
So it’s important when humans don’t give us feedback, that we get a check in our heart like something’s not sitting right. It’s important for us to ask the Lord and get clarity with the Lord. The second thing that’s interesting about this story is that when David heard that Saul was coming, he had already saved this town from the Philistines. You would assume that the men of that town would be loyal and faithful to David because he had rescued them. But David did not assume that. Instead he said to God because there was something in his heart, “God will they betray me?” and that saved his life and the lives of his men.
So it’s really important to ask the Lord when we’re not sure, when we need direction. Ask. It might be a simple concept, but it it’s essential and it can spare us grief. It can give us clarity to make sure we’re in the right direction. It can relieve us from things that would harm us, and it can give us a straight arrow to the direction of the Lord. So ask, if you’re not sure.
I’ll end with this. Isaiah 48:17, “This is what the LORD says, ‘I am the one who brought you back, the Holy One of Israel. I am the Lord your God, who teaches what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow.'”