LIVING WORD DEVOTIONAL
By Pastor Mensa Otabil
Sunday 13th July 2025
MAKE A MOVE
Scripture Reading: 2 Samuel 5:17-25
“And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” *2 Samuel 5:24*
After the Lord had given David victory over the Philistines, they regrouped for a second battle. In the second battle, God changed what David had planned in advance and gave him a new strategy.
We can learn important warfare lessons from how God instructed David in his battles.
1. Yesterday’s permission is not today’s mandate. What God said to you yesterday is different from what He is saying to you today. What he permitted some time ago should not become a lifetime mandate.
2. Similar situations may require different approaches. The enemy was the same, the battleground was the same, but the strategy was different. You cannot use someone else’s testimony as your regular response. Testimonies may encourage you, but they should not be your sole guide.
In the second battle, the Lord directed David to follow these instructions:
– Hear heaven’s sound. Amid a noisome battle, David was to keep his ears open to a heavenly sound. He had to be able to tell the difference between heaven’s presence and earth’s disturbance.
– Follow the Spirit’s leading. In the first battle, God was with him. In the second battle, God was ahead of him.
– Do in the natural what you see in the spirit. Although the battle seemed to be a natural one, God revealed that it was a battle being fought on two levels – the natural and the spiritual. David’s role was to re-enact on earth, what was taking place in the spirit realm.
When heaven’s armies moved, he had to move.
Advance quickly when God moves. David’s speed of obedience was critical to his victory. The ability to act quickly under the leadership of the Lord is always rewarding.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, you are the source of my progress. Help me to move forward in all areas of my life. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
