Inquire, Consider, Wait, Call: Avoiding Impulsive Decisions and Presumption (1 Samuel 23)

The Practical Thing I Keep Seeing: Impulse Isn’t the Same as God’s Leading

There’s something I’ve been noticing—this is a practical word, just an observation.

I keep seeing people being impulsive, and then crediting that impulse as if it’s God… like opportunity automatically equals God’s plan.

But when we’re impulsive, it’s easy to step into presumption.

And yes… I’ve heard that about myself too. “John, you can be a little impulsive.” Then the ladies piled on: “You can be a little presumptuous.” And I was like, that sounds bad. So I looked it up.

Impulsive vs. Presumptuous (Here’s the Difference)

Impulsive is a sudden, often irresistible urge to act—fast motion, “shiny object,” all-in, no helmet, no coat, “Coach, put me in—I got it!”

Presumption is accepting something as true or right without proof—moving in a direction as if it’s God… but it’s completely unverified because we never stopped to ask.

And sometimes (without meaning to), we swap His will for our will. We want it, we like it, we’ve been hoping for it… so we decide, “It must be God.” But really it’s just… our will.

Then when it doesn’t go how we thought it would go, what happens?

Blame shifting.

We blame God, blame each other, blame the devil, blame ourselves—when the real issue was: we didn’t inquire, we didn’t consider, we didn’t wait, and we didn’t respond to His invitation to call. 

The Word That Fixes This: “David Inquired of the Lord” (1 Samuel 23)

The message centers around one key phrase:

“Therefore David inquired of the Lord…” 

David had a decision to make. And instead of charging in, he asked:

“Shall I go?” 

That’s where many of us get messed up.

We see an opportunity and go, “We’re doing it!” Then we’re shocked when we get our “rear end handed to us” and wonder what happened—when the truth is, God never told us to pick that fight. 

And then David does it again—he inquires again. Because inquiring positions us to receive:

• direction

• strategy

• confirmation

• confidence

And when we move with that kind of clarity, we can walk away with victory—because God calls His people to victory, not defeat.

Step 1: Inquire of the Lord (Not Just Google It)

“Inquire” means to seek information, ask questions—like making a formal request.

And this part is so current: we’re living in a time where it’s easy to skip prayer because we have “the smartest thing on the planet” in our pocket. We make intellectual decisions based on what we can instantly pull up… but God’s will never enters the thought. 

And here’s the warning from the message:

We’re not operating the operating system anymore… the operating system is operating us. Careful.

Step 2: Consider the Lord (Hebrews 12:3)

To consider means to think carefully before making a decision—to take something into account.

So the question becomes:

Have you considered the Lord in this decision… or did you just say “yes” because it looked shiny?

Hebrews says:

“Consider Him… so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” 

And here’s a tactic the message calls out: the enemy will wear out the saints not only with hardship—but with open doors and opportunities that look good, feel urgent, and pull you thin.

Step 3: Wait (Yes… Wait)

“How about wait?”

And then the message does something that proves the point—silence. Because waiting is uncomfortable now. We’re trained for scrolling, next, next, next… and waiting feels awkward.

But Scripture is clear:

• “Wait, I say, upon the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)

• “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength…” (Isaiah 40:31)

That’s what we’re called to: renewed strength, lifted perspective, endurance.

And honestly, one of the reasons we’re exhausted is because we’ve been spending our time, treasure, and energy on things with no eternal value—stuff that just wears us out.

A Quick Reality Check: “It’s on Sale” Doesn’t Mean It’s God

This section is both hilarious and painfully true:

Open door… must be God.Opportunity… must be God.I always wanted that… must be God.It’s a bargain… must be God.It’s on sale… must be God.

But sometimes you didn’t ask the Lord—and it’s just cheap junk you don’t need (and you’re out of wall space anyway).

And another key discernment point from the message:

Sometimes the sense of urgency is how you can tell it’s not God.

That countdown timer on your phone isn’t the Holy Spirit. The algorithm knows what you want, what you like, your price point—and it’s trying to push you into impulse.

Step 4: Call Upon the Lord (Jeremiah 33:3 + Romans 10:13)

Over and over, Scripture invites humanity to call upon the name of the Lord.

Jeremiah 33:3

“Call unto Me, and I will answer… and show you great and mighty things which you do not know.” 

That’s the point—we don’t know stuff, and He does.

Make the call. Inquire. Consider. Wait. Call.

And when we’ve skipped all those steps and landed in a mess?

This promise still stands:

“Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” 

And the message reminds us: salvation isn’t just a one-time moment. We’ve been saved, we’re being saved, and we will yet be saved—God rescues, strengthens, and delivers as we call on Him.

If you’re facing a decision right now—big or small—don’t let urgency, impulse, or “shiny opportunity” push you into presumption.

This week, try the simple biblical sequence:

Inquire. Consider. Wait. Call.

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