1 Chronicles 14:13-17
Inquire | Watch | Action
Learning anew the old ways of kingdom life

2. Watch

Welcome to the place of tension. I promise you – it is an exciting place to be – wrestling with yourself about the right move you need to make and with God about whether He knows what he is doing. If you’re like me, I am usually screaming at the top of my lungs –

Give me a revelation Show me what to do ‘Cause I’ve been trying To find my way I haven’t got a clue
Tell me should I stay here Or do I need to move? Give me a revelation I’ve got nothing without You I’ve got nothing without You. Third Day

Today we will continue with part two of our current 3 part blog series.  Here is the verse we are focusing on today:

God said to him, “You shall not go up after them; go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. And when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the balsam trees, then go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike down the army of the Philistines. 1 Chronicles 14:14, 15

Quite frankly, this is the place where it gets a little tricky for most would be seekers of God’s will. We’ve prayed, we’ve inquired, now it is time to not only listen for a response, but also to watch for a sign. Just so we know, it is okay to look for a sign from the Lord. In this passage, the Lord himself directs David to follow directions and watch for a sign.

This is the place where we look for a sign for what we perceive God is saying or wants to say to us. If there is any place where there is confusion and tension about the will of God it is right here – when we are trying to align our will with God’s will – our timing with God’s timing. It is unfortunately a place of immense tension. Am I going miss it, am I going to be too late or too early. No matter why Gideon was so freaked out watching for a sign.

Even though a lot of Christians abuse the “show me a sign” thing in the Gideon experience, it is still very important to wait on the Lord after inquiring of him. Listening to him and watching for a sign or a confirmation is still a good thing. In any event, the question you may have in the back of your mind is – what in the world was this “sound of marching in the top of the balsam trees?”

Some say it was a “distinct sound caused by the Lord that frightened the Philistines. See 2 Kings 7:6. Others say that the “Philistines knew the sound was the sound of trees, so David was able to use the sound as cover for his attack.” By this victory, David drove the Philistines out of the central hill country.

Whatever it was, to David it was a sure sign from God that it was time to move. God specifically told him not to go up after them; but to go around and come against them opposite the balsam trees. Now, that alone is a clear direction. It is a beautiful thing to get clear directions from the Lord like this.

More specifically, God told him to watch for a sign. He had to listen for the sound of marching in the top of the balsam trees. He had to wait for it to happen. He had to respect God’s timing. He had to be vigilant. He had to be watchful. He had to be patient. He had to do what God commanded. It was a sure sign that God had gone out before him to strike down the army of the Philistines.

Let me leave you with a few scriptures today:

Habakkuk 2:3 “For still the vision awaits its appointed time; it hastens to the end—it will not lie. If it seems slow, wait for it; it will surely come; it will not delay.”

Romans 8:25 “But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”

Lamentations 3:26 “It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”