This morning I continue our series entitled, “Standing on a Word from God.” This is Part 68 of the series and Part 40 of the life of David.
We have been following David’s life story for over 8 weeks. Some of you may be thinking, “How long is this going to take? Wasn’t he anointed by the prophet of God to be the King of the entire nation of Israel?” To which I would say, “Yes, he was anointed to be King of Israel, but no one knows how long the space between the promise and the performance is.” This is part of the mystery of walking with God. Living by faith is exciting, because you don’t always know what is going to happen, how it is going to happen, or when it is going to happen, but when you know WHO your faith is in, you can have peace and great expectations.
In David’s case he knew the what. The Lord told him he would be King of Israel, so come hell-or-high water, he was going to be the King of Israel. But the Lord never told him how or when it would happen. This meant that David needed to wait and he needed to wait in-faith, never giving up on the fact that the throne was destined to him. As it relates to living by faith, Paul said, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up” (Gal 6:9). The King James Version calls it a “due season.” I like to say that there is a season when your harvest is due. Your job is to NOT GIVE UP before your season.
David didn’t give up. He kept believing God and this is what the Bible says in 2 Sam 5:
All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron. They said to David, “Look, we are one family! Even when Saul was our king, you were the one who led us into battle. And you were the one who brought Israel back home from war. The Lord himself said to you, ‘You will be the shepherd of my people, the Israelites. You will be the ruler over Israel.’” So all the leaders of Israel came to meet with King David at Hebron. He made an agreement with them in Hebron in front of the Lord, and they anointed David to be the king of Israel. David was 30 years old when he began to rule. He was king for 40 years. In Hebron he ruled over Judah for 7 years and 6 months, and in Jerusalem he ruled over all Israel and Judah for 33 years. (2 Sam 5:1-4 ERV)
After acknowledging the fact that the throne was ordained for David by God, the elders anointed David the King of Israel. He had been anointed by the prophet 20 years earlier and it finally came to pass! It took David 13 years to take the first throne and another seven years for the full manifestation of the promise. David waited 20 years for a Word from God to manifest. And it was not an easy 20 years. David endured many trials, tribulations, heartaches and disappointments during those 20 years. Through it all, God gave him the grace to wait and he blessed David when the season of his harvest was due.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. There is a proper time when your harvest is due. Unless the Lord tells you when, you won’t know how long the space between the promise and the performance is going to be. But rest assured, there will come a time when your harvest is due. You have a “due season.” Your job is to continue to run your race, with your grace, while you are waiting for the season to come due. You may not know the “WHEN,” but if your faith is in the “WHO” — meaning, your faith is in God, and not in man or even in yourself — then you will keep your faith switch in the “ON” position while you wait.
2. You will reap your harvest if you do not give up. I am convinced that many believers quit before their season is due. Now, in most cases, they still reap the harvest, but they wind up reaping it much later, because unbelief and a lack of faith do cause a delay. You may not be denied, but you will surely be delayed if you give up before your time. That’s why I keep telling you to never give up, cave in or quit. Sooner or later your season of harvest will come due and if your faith switch is in the “ON” position when it is, you will walk into your blessing.
3. God will make it worth your wait. You may have an idea of the “WHAT” while you are waiting for it, but when it finally comes, God’s “WHAT” is often way better than the “WHAT” you imagined. Paul said it this way, “God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask, think or imagine” (Eph 3:20). God has a way of ‘blessings your socks off.’ So keep believing and never give up. When you finally get it, it will more-than-likely be much better than you ever imagined.
4. You must keep standing. For 15 weeks I have taught you this series entitled, “Standing on a Word from God.” Abraham was 75 when he received the promise and we followed his life for 42 years. It took 25 years to receive the promise and he had to then sow his promised child as a seed 17 years later. David was 17 when he received the promise. It took 20 years for the full promise to come to pass and he reigned over Israel for 33 years after that. He then had to pass the torch to Solomon. My point is that many believers think that the giants of the faith were people who received a promise one day and the fulfillment of the promise the next day, or the next week. But truth be told, walking with God requires patience, endurance, perseverance, and bulldog-tenacity when it comes to your faith. You have to stand on a Word from God and keep standing until it comes to pass, no matter how long it takes. So if you are believing God for something this morning, and you feel like giving up because you think it is taking too long, my message to you is: HOLD ON! REMAIN IN FAITH! IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE YOU RECEIVE (IN YOUR HANDS) WHAT GOD REVEALED (IN YOUR HEART).
Closing Confession:
Father, I thank You for the many precious promises You have given me through Your Word, through others, and directly through the Holy Spirit. I stand on every Word I have received from You. You are not a man that You should lie. You have said it and You will perform it. You have spoken it and You shall make it good. I know Your promises will not manifest overnight. There is often a space between the promise and the performance and I won’t know how long that space is unless You tell me. But no matter how long it is, I am determined to wait, in faith, without wavering, until I see in my hands what You have spoken to me in my heart. In Your realm (heaven) it is already done. In my realm (the earth) it has yet to come to pass. But I receive it in my heart, I call it done by faith, and I refuse to allow what I see to change what I say. For now I wait, in faith, without a doubt, and I shall never give up, cave in or quit! It SHALL come to pass! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
