There is One, Part 4: One Decision

1 Samuel 23:1-14

       When David was told, “Look, the Philistines are fighting against Keilah and are looting the threshing floors,” ² he inquired of the LORD, saying, “Shall I go and attack these Philistines?”
       The LORD answered him, “Go, attack the Philistines and save Keilah.
       ³ But David’s men said to him, “Here in Judah we are afraid. How much more, then, if we go to Keilah against the Philistine forces!”
       ⁴ Once again David inquired of the LORD, and the LORD answered him, “Go down to Keilah, for I am going to give the Philistines into your hand.” ⁵ So David and his men went to Keilah, fought the Philistines and carried off their livestock. He inflicted heavy losses on the Philistines and saved the people of Keilah.
       ⁷ Saul was told that David had gone to Keilah, and he said, “God has handed him over to me, for David has imprisoned himself by entering a town with gates and bars.” ⁸ And Saul called up all his forces for battle, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
       ⁹ When David learned that Saul was plotting against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod.” ¹⁰ David said, “O LORD, God of Israel, your servant has heard definitely that Saul plans to come to Keilah and destroy the town on account of me. ¹¹ Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me to him? Will Saul come down, as your servant has heard? O LORD, God of Israel, tell your servant.”
       And the LORD said, “He will.”
       ¹² Again David asked, “Will the citizens of Keilah surrender me and my men to Saul?”
       And the LORD said, “They will.”
       ¹³ So David and his men, about six hundred in number, left Keilah and kept moving from place to place. When Saul was told that David had escaped from Keilah, he did not go there.
       ¹⁴ David stayed in the desert strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands.

The truth about “your” decisions:

• Godly decisions will force you to examine your (1 Samuel 19-22)
• Godly decisions demand a godly (verse 2)
• Godly decisions always encounter (verse 3)
• Godly decisions are rarely or (verse 5)
• Godly decisions will expose you to (verse 11)
• Godly decisions are accompanied by God’s (verse 14)

Your notes:

Small Group Questions

1. What are your plans for Easter?
2. How do you go about making decisions? What are your criteria for a good decision?
3. How often do you “inquire of the Lord”? What is important enough to bring to Jesus?
4. When asking God a question, how do you know if it is him that is answering?
5. Read the 1 Samuel 23 passage again out loud. What is God saying to you about your decisions right now?
6. How can we pray for you right now and throughout the week?