Do I Really Have To Wait?

Steven Cribbs    Leadership     be ready, David, Grow, Know, Leader, Pray, vision, Wait

I really don’t like to wait for things to happen. Once I get the vision, I want to get on with it. Seize the moment…right? But what about David…

As a young man, David was chosen by God to be king of Israel. There was only one problem. Someone else was already on the throne. So, what was David to do? He was given the vision. He was anointed by God. I can only imagine that David was a little excited (after getting past the scared ‘what-did-he-just-say’ reaction). Well, David did what is unnatural for many of us…David waited. 

Can anything good come out of waiting?

As David waited, he served the king in a variety of ways. He even led Israelite armies to victory over the nation’s enemies. Eventually, the king died. This had to be the perfect time for David to step up and take the crown…except for a slight catch…the king had sons who wanted to be king. And, no one else, other than a small handful of people, knew of God’s calling for David. So, once again, David waited.  

It would be seven more years before David would gain the throne as King of Israel.

If you are like me, when I get an idea of something exciting that the future holds, I become impatient. I so much want things to happen right now that I start wanting to help the process along . I sometimes get so focused on that one thing that I lose sight of everything else. Some people call that ambition. However, I think this can lead us to missing out…

There is often a bigger story that we miss when we rush the process.

What happened during those years from when God first anointed David and when he finally assumed the throne? A lot! David grew in wisdom, stature, and courage. God prepared David for his new role. And, God prepared Israel for a new king.

Would things have worked if David had tried to step in as king at an earlier time? Maybe. But, it would not have been the story that God prepared. It’s likely that the people would have rebelled against David or that David would not have had the wisdom, skill, and experience that he needed to be an effective leader.

I believe the key in David’s story is that David continued to ‘inquire’ of God – asking what God wanted him to do. And not only did he ask, but, David then did what God told him to do.

Lessons for the waiting leader:

• Pray. Talk with God. Consistently and continually seek God’s direction in your life.
• Know. Know that God is in control; that He knows exactly what you need and when.
• Grow. God will teach you important lessons in your current situation that you will need later. David spent much time as a shepherd – one who took care of those in his charge. God later told David, “You will shepherd my people”…which was opposite from most kings who wanted the people to take care of them.
• Wait. Be okay with waiting. Know that timing is important.
• Be ready. You never know exactly what God will bring or when. But, we can trust God to keep the promises He has given us.

Our nature is to desire knowledge of the future, to want the biggest and best, to think that we deserve to have everything now. Our challenge is to remember that God is in control, that God knows exactly what we need and when, and that being a part of God’s bigger story is much more desirable than be the star of our much smaller story.

What’s the biggest lesson you have learned in waiting for that next big thing? You can leave a comment below.

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