From Seers, Sayers, Schemers & Saints, here’s a little discussed story found in 1 Chronicles 14:

Sometimes you get what you want only to realize that what you wanted was way more than you could handle. Such was the case with the Philistines, who felt like David’s victory over Goliath was a fluke and now that David operated as king, they ached to go teach him a lesson. It’s easy to miss, so pay attention to this line found in 1 Chronicles 14:8: “When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over all Israel, they went up in full force to search for him. But David heard about it and went out to meet them” (emphasis mine).

The Philistines in fully engaged mode would have been a sight to see. They raised warriors and fought continually. The Israelites served as their mortal enemies ever since Joshua led the Egyptian exiles into their promised land. This expedition was no lark. The Philistines prepared extensively and put their strongest pieces into play. “Full force” equaled all in. Sensing a weakness in an inexperienced king who had not yet consolidated power, the Philistine rulers sought to strike a blow to Israel that swung the pendulum of dominance back in their direction. Though it’s barely mentioned in Scripture, this campaign seriously tested David’s new administration. A superior army hurtled toward a young king. If David were defeated, the nation faced months or years of fighting. Much worse, if David were killed or captured, Israel would be leaderless and again under the boots of the Philistines.

David responded in his typical fashion. Without hesitation he left to face the invading force. Hunted by an invading army bent on your destruction? Perfect. In David’s mind this means that we have them where we want them and now we can deal with this group of cutthroats once and for all. The same spirit that pushed David to run toward Goliath now drove him toward the Philistine army, hunting the hunters. Much to their dismay, the Philistines found who they came looking for. The ongoing battle developed into such a rout that the Philistines fled in panic, discarding anything weighing them down, including their idols. No match for the living God, David burned these “gods” as the mere pieces of wood and metal they turned out to be.

A leader acts. A leader wades into difficult situations. A leader listens to the Lord and moves decisively. Opportunity lives behind difficulty. Strength and maturity and wisdom grow due to going through the storms, not around them. The Lord can act through a leader who moves. You may not see the horizon, but the Lord does. When problems appear, when challenges arise, when Philistines march into your lands, get up and meet them face-to-face. When you do, the Lord can break out and the rout can take place. Hiding solves nothing. Rather than vacillate, step out and give the Lord the chance to work.