TWO STEPS

 step (noun): the space passed over in one step; a short distance, a stride

“…God will be two steps ahead of you, slaughtering the Philistines.” 1 Chronicles 14:15

Are there some Philistines you need to slaughter?

Me neither.

But I wonder if maybe the enemies that attacked the people of Israel long ago were not so different than the things that are threatening our hearts and minds today.

Like the Israelites, we are in a vulnerable time and place. Feeling afraid and unsure is our new normal. We worry about the health of our families and friends, we stress about school and work, and we grieve for so many experiencing devastating loss. The bad news keeps repeating, and nothing seems safe anymore.

But we are safe. This verse tucked in-between all the events in the life and reign of King David reminds us that God cares about what we are going through. He is staying close to us, but he is also letting us know–very specifically–that he is going ahead of us in these battles that we are facing.

I love picturing Jesus just two steps ahead of me right now. I imagine him close enough that I can see him, hear him, and reach out to grab his hand when things get really scary.

So I want to do what David did whenever he felt threatened.

I want to remember to pray.

Every time he anticipated a battle, David asked God for help and direction. And every single time, God heard him. In answer to his prayer about the battle just prior to this one, God had simply given him the go ahead:

“Attack; I’ll give you the victory.” 1 Chronicles 14:10

But the next time, God was more specific. When David prayed about another Philistine threat, God gave him this interesting plan:

“This time don’t attack head-on; circle around and come at them out of the balsam grove. When you hear a sound like shuffling feet in the tops of the balsams, attack; God will be two steps ahead of you…” 1 Chronicles 14:14-15

This just makes me smile. I don’t understand the strategy of circling around and through the balsam grove, but I love that God had worked out a specific plan to lead David to victory.

What good news this verse brings to our fearful hearts!

1)     This God who loved and fought for David is the same God who loves and fights for us.

2)     God has battle plans that we don’t always think of on our own. If we pray for direction and listen for his voice, he will lead us through.

3)     He is going ahead of us, but only by a couple of steps. We can hear him, we can feel him with us, and we can absolutely trust him to take us to the other side.

Invite Him In

Bring your battle before him. He knows how scared you are, and he has a creative and mighty plan to give you the victory. Look and listen ahead–just a step or two–and trust that he is right there fighting for you.