Every Step of the Way...

After this David inquired of the LORD, “Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?” And the LORD said to him, “Go up.” David said, “To which shall I go up?” And he said, “To Hebron.” So David went up there, and his two wives also, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. (2 Samuel 2:1-4a ESV)
David had been down - way down, geographically, emotionally, and spiritually. He was "out of Israel", on the run, almost hopeless, and making one bad decision after another without the direction of God. Then, he "found strength in the Lord His God," and began to ask Him for direction once again. From the point, God had restored his family, renewed the trust of his men, and removed Saul from the scene, opening the opportunity for him to finally become king. It was no time to make mistakes. He begins to ask God for direction - not only asking "if" or "should I?", but even "where?" and "when?" When he did so, God made the way, one step at a time. The people there were ready to accept him as King. They gathered around him. He did not need to force himself upon them. That is where we need to stay: taking everything to Him in prayer. Every step, every day. When we begin to think we know the way without asking, we get off track, heading the wrong direction. We become frustrated, angry, fearful, lacking confidence, and feeling alone, having left God behind. Get back on track. Admit you're lost and hurting. Ask for just one step at a time.