Go To God First

David was in great danger; for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in spirit for their sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. David said to the priest Abiathar son of Ahimelech, “Bring me the ephod.” So Abiathar brought the ephod to David. David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” He answered him, “Pursue; for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue.” (1 Samuel 30:6-8)
 
When you’re facing hard times, when you’re battling difficult circumstances, or when you need guidance on how to move forward with a big decision, who is the first person you talk to you? Do you call your parents? Your spouse? Your best friend? Your neighbor?  
 
While it’s great to have people in our lives who can help us, encourage us, and point us in the right direction, there is someone we should always go to first before anyone else, and that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 
God can offer us more wisdom, more encouragement, more hope, more peace, and more guidance than anyone or anything on this earth. He knows exactly what we need and always has our best interest at heart, so it’s important that we go to Him first whenever we’re in need of help.  
 
David set a great example for how to do this in 1 Samuel chapter 30. When the Amalekites seemingly took everything from David and his people, the Bible says that David first consulted the Lord. When everything was going wrong, he went to God in prayer, for advice, for counsel, and for direction. He didn’t speak to his people or to the military commanders in his camp. The Bible says he talked to God.  
 
So the next time you find yourself in a tough situation, before you pick up the phone, I would encourage you to go to the throne. Talk to God about what you’re going through. Spend time in prayer seeking His help and His wisdom, and He will guide you along the right path, giving you hope and peace along the way.