2 Samuel 5:17-19 "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 stronghold. The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the valley of Rephaim. And David inquired of The Lord saying, "shall I go up to the Philistines? Wilt thou deliver them into my hand?" And the Lord said unto David, "Go up..for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into thy hand."
David had been crowned King of Israel. This was his destiny. However, now the enemy was trying to capture him. Has it ever seemed that just as you were making progress toward something..just as you are able to look back at that huge hurdle you overcame, there is another obstacle right around the corner. It's like you can almost see the finish line to your dream. You're so close, you can nearly reach out and touch it...but the opposition that would prevent you from seeing it come to fruition is looming right in front of you...and this time it seems to be too massive to overcome.
David would have understood what you are going through. He would have appreciated what you are feeling..because he had been there. He had been anointed King, but now his enemies were trying to kill him. They were trying to steal his destiny. When Jesus was born, Herod tried to kill Him. He tried to steal his destiny. When Jesus had been baptized and then fasted 40 days, while He was in the wilderness, satan came to tempt Him in an effort to derail His destiny. Probably every person we can read about in the scriptures had a roadblock of some kind...from Abraham to Moses, from Esther to Ezekiel, from Daniel to Jonah, from Jesus to Paul.
David, in these verses, paints a clear picture of his response to the situation. First, he retreated to the stronghold. A stronghold was similar to a castle, a place of defense and protection, a fortress, a quiet place.
Today, we run to Jesus. He is our Strong Hold! David said, "He is my Rock, my fortress, my Stronghold." He is also our Shield and our Deliverer. He is the One in Whom we take refuge. What a fortress or fortification might be to a city, Jesus is to us. We are kept by His power, as in a garrison, or a barricade. We are secure in Him.
The second thing that David did was to inquire of The Lord. He asked God what his next move was to be. He needed to hear from the Lord before he could proceed...and in that place of quiet..that place of protection..that Strong Hold...the. Lord spoke. He revealed to David not only what his next move should be, but also the outcome!
When we are facing circumstances that appear to be overwhelming..that threaten to steal our destiny..when we are teetering on the path to our future..we can learn from David. It is in that place of refuge..that quiet place in Christ, where we seek Him...and then listen for His answer. Then, we can continue in the plan and the purpose that God created us for.