In this week’s lesson in the story of David and the attack of the Philistines, after his first success against them, we read that instead of going immediately to defend himself again, he asked God what to do.
He could have used pride of success after his first victory to just go out to fight them again, but instead he asked God what to do, and God answered him.
“Therefore David inquired again of God; and God said unto him, Go not up after them: turn away from them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.”
Sometimes it seems obvious what we should do in certain circumstances, but it’s not the right way if it’s not being directed by God. How would David have known of his own will to not go after the Philistines but to go into the Mulberry Trees, and wait for the sound in the tops of the trees to go out to battle?
There is a sermon by Spurgeon called “The Sound in the Mulberry Trees.” It is quite long but some of it reads:
“My brethren, let us learn from David to take no steps without God. The last time you moved, or went into another business, or changed your situation in life, you asked God’s help, and then did it, and you were blessed in the doing of it. You have been up to this time a successful man, you have always sought God, but do not think that the stream of providence necessarily runs in a continuous current; remember, you may to-morrow without seeking God’s advice venture upon a step which you will regret but once, and that will be until you die. You have been wise hitherto, it may be because you have trusted in the Lord with all your heart, and have not leaned to your own understanding; you have said like David, “Let us enquire of the Lord,” and like Jehoshaphat, who said to Ahab,” “I will not go up until I have enquired of the Lord;” and you have not to ask priests of Baal, but you have said, “Is there not here one, prophet of the Lord, that I may enquire at his hands?” Now, keep on in the same way: do not, I beseech you, go before the cloud. If Providence tarries, tarry till Providence comes, never go before it. He goes on a fool’s errand who goes before God but he walks in a blessed path who sees the footsteps of Providence, and reads the map of Scripture, and so discovers, “This is the way wherein I am to walk.”
https://www.spurgeon.org/resource-library/sermons/the-sound-in-the-mulberry-trees/#flipbook/
I had some success for a while on my own without God. He did help me and then, when things were good, I dropped Science. Eventually everything crumbled because I had lost my connection with my Creator. He never left me though.
Recently I forged ahead with my own idea of what I needed to do, but it didn’t work out. Thankfully though after calling a Practitioner, I was able to stop and ask God for his guidance before doing anything else. The answer came and the situation was corrected.
I am grateful since I found this church and regularly speak with a Practitioner and listen to the teachings here, and am slowly learning to ask God what to do, in all details of my life. It is very wonderful that we can do this.
Thank you for this lesson, it is so good.