Watch Out for Whims
Spontaneity can be kind of fun at times, especially if you tend to be rigid. But doing things on a whim can't become a lifestyle. I doubt that God operates through impulsiveness very often.
David was not spontaneous, except when it came to Bathsheba. And in that case, impulsiveness turned his world upside-down.
But we won't look at that today. Instead, let's notice a few times when he didn't do what might have struck him in the moment, and instead prayed and asked God what he should do.
In our first short story, Saul was still the king, and he had an army. But David also had an army, though he wasn’t king yet. The enemy Philistines show up in this story.
1Sa 23:1-5 Then they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshingfloors. (2) Therefore David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go and smite these Philistines? And the LORD said unto David, Go, and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah. (3) And David's men said unto him, Behold, we be afraid here in Judah: how much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines? (4) Then David enquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand. (5) So David and his men went to Keilah, and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle, and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.
Keliah was a city on the border of Judea, and the enemy Philistines had invaded the city. Rather than assume he should go fight the enemies, David prayed and asked God. God said to go fight them. But David’s men weren’t so sure. They were afraid of the Philistines. I think it’s interesting that David responded, not by becoming angry with his men, but he prayed and asked God again.
It’s also interesting that God wasn’t angry with David for asking again, when God had already said to go. It's better to pray and be sure than just jump.
Was it David's habit to pray first and think later? Well, there's another story, and this time king Saul had died and David was the newly established as king.
2Sa 5:17-25 But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it, and went down to the hold. (18) The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. (19) And David enquired of the LORD, saying, Shall I go up to the Philistines? wilt thou deliver them into mine hand? And the LORD said unto David, Go up: for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thine hand. (20) And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there, and said, The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim. (21) And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them. (22) And the Philistines came up yet again, and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. (23) And when David enquired of the LORD, he said, Thou shalt not go up; but fetch a compass behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees. (24) And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops 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. (25) And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him; and smote the Philistines from Geba until thou come to Gazer.
See how things turned out when he prayed and asked? He received actual words from God, somehow. Now, in our day, we can and should pray and ask, but it's likely that the way God is going to tell us how to proceed is in his written word. So, what our scenario would look like is that we would not just plow forward with whatever we think or want to do, but we would pray with our Bible in our lap and ask God to show us what to do. It might take a little time, so we have to get out of our instant mindset and really look to God.
Pro 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. (6) In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Impulsiveness just isn't the preferred way.