"And again David asked the Lord what to do. 'Do not attack them straight on,' the Lord replied. 'Instead, circle around behind and attack them near the poplar trees.'"2 Samuel 5:19 & 5:23 (NLT)
I highlighted both of these verses for the same reason.
When you read the Bible in larger sections instead of just a few verses at a time, patterns start to appear. Things you might miss when reading only a few lines suddenly stand out.
One of the things that became very clear to me while reading through David's story was how often he checked with God first.
Before the battle.
Before the decision.
Before the action.
David asked.
Should I go?
Will you give them into my hand?
And what stood out even more is that he asked again.
David did not assume that because God answered one way the first time, the answer would be the same the next time.
Same enemy.
Different instruction.
In the first battle, God tells him to go ahead. In the next one, God tells him not to attack straight on, but to circle around behind them.
That is interesting.
But something else stood out too.
David asked a question.
But God did not just give a yes or no answer.
He gave direction.
Circle around behind them.
Attack near the poplar trees.
That feels very specific.
It shows that David's relationship with God was not just about asking permission. It was about asking for guidance.
And God responded with more than approval. He responded with strategy.
Reading this all together made that pattern clear.
David did not rely on the last victory or the last strategy. He kept coming back and asking again.
Sometimes we want a formula. Something that worked before that we can just repeat.
But this reminds me that following God is not always about repeating what worked last time.
It is about continuing to ask.
And trusting that God is willing to guide us, sometimes even down to the details.