(Read 2 Samuel 3:1-5)
Today I will continue with “Faith and Patience Volume 5 – Greater is Coming!” The foolish decision we discussed yesterday, made by the military commanders of both Israel and Judah, led to a long war between those loyal to Saul and those loyal to David. The good news is that David did not press the issue. God originally told David to move to Hebron, and since God had not spoken again, David simply waited in place.
David had been waiting for the throne for years, and while he was already the King of Judah, he knew in his heart that he was destined to be the king of the entire nation of Israel. But instead of making a mistake he had made in the past when he got out ahead of God, this time, David simply waited on the Lord and enjoyed the season he was in.
While David was in this waiting period, he had six sons: Amnon, Daniel, Absalom, Adonijah, Shephatiah, and Ithream. David enjoyed life, and the Bible says, “As time passed David became stronger and stronger, while Saul’s dynasty became weaker and weaker.” I am sure it was taking longer than David wanted, but little by little, day by day, David was getting incrementally closer to taking the throne that was destined for him.
So what does this mean for you today? It means that you must learn to wait on the Lord. What do you do while you are waiting on the Lord to manifest something you are certain He promised you? You:
1. Stand on the last “Word” you heard.
— If you are where you are, because of a Word you heard from the Lord and He has not spoken to you to tell you to move, then just remain in place. That’s what David did.
— Many believers want God to give them a “Word,” but they are not standing on the last “Word” they heard!
— The last Word you heard will keep you until the Lord leads you to move again.
— Far too many believers grow impatient while they are waiting on God to do what He said He would do. If you are not careful, this impatience can lead you to either: 1) get out ahead of God, or 2) go down a different path altogether; at which point you will be outside the will of God.
— This series is about faith and patience. One of the most important aspects of walking with God and living by faith is learning to discern His timing. The right thing, at the wrong time, becomes the wrong thing. Wait on the Lord and don’t move until He tells you to move. If God has not spoken to you lately, stand on the last “Word” you heard!
2. Learn how to REST and ENJOY the season you are in.
— Waiting on the Lord to tell you what to do next does not have to be a bad experience. If God led you to where you are right now, then enjoy the season you are in.
— One of the greatest lessons we can learn as God’s children is learning to rest in His promises. If God said it, then He HAS TO perform it. So stop worrying about it and enter into God’s rest.
— In the military, many times while we were traveling, we had to move large groups of Soldiers through airports, warehouses, fields, etc. As a leader would approach the group of Soldiers, the Soldiers would stand and get ready for their next command. Sometimes the command was, “REST IN PLACE!” What this meant was, “Hey, we are not going anywhere anytime soon. So just relax, RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE!” Sometimes as believers, we need to learn how to REST IN PLACE and reject every nagging through about tomorrow.
— David learned how to REST while he was waiting on God. As a result, he had six sons during this season while waiting to become the king of Israel. He did not sit around and pout while he was waiting on God in Hebron. He enjoyed himself, he maximized the season he was in, and he continued to grow while he was waiting on the Lord to open the next door. This is how we should live!
3. Tap into the grace to wait.
— I will admit, from personal experience, that waiting on God for something You know He already told you is yours, it not always easy. But like anything else, whatever God expects us to do, He equips us to do.
— Just like the Lord can give you the grace to fight, grace to stand in faith, grace to operate in the supernatural, and grace to win the lost for Him, the Lord can also give you the grace to wait.
— The prophet Isaiah said it this way, “God gives strength to those who grow tired and increases the strength of those who are weak. Even young people grow tired and become weary, and young men will stumble and fall. Yet, the strength of those who wait with hope in the LORD will be renewed. They will soar on wings like eagles. They will run and won’t become weary. They will walk and won’t grow tired” (Isaiah 40:29-31)
— When you know you are waiting on the Lord to give you something He clearly destined you to have, and you know it is only going to come in His timing, when He chooses to move, then wait on the Lord, but don’t wait with human ability alone. If you wait with just human ability, you will grow tired, weary, impatient, and frustrated. Wait with supernatural ability. Wait with spiritual strength. Wait with divine grace. This way, while you are waiting, the Lord Himself will renew your strength. There is a grace to wait. Tap into it!
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I walk by faith and not by sight. I live my life by every Word that proceeds from Your mouth. You are my center and circumference, my base and boundary, my all and all. I don’t live by what I see with my natural eyes. I live by what I can see in the Spirit. You lead me, feed me, guide me, protect me, and bless me every step of the way. I am Your sheep, I hear Your voice, and I follow after You daily. While I am waiting for You to tell me what to do next, I am faithful to remain in place and to live off of the Last Word I heard. The Last Word I heard will keep me until You give me the next Word. And while I am waiting, I shall not wait with a bitter spirit. I enjoy the season I am in, I make the most of it, I maximize my time, and I delight myself in You. Father, there are things that I am certain You have destined for me to have, things You have promised I will possess and experience that have not happened yet. I shall wait on You for those things to come to pass, but I won’t wait with human ability alone. I refuse to grow tired, weak, impatient and frustrated. I have divine grace to wait. Just like You grace me for everything else, You also grace me to wait. I wait on You with spiritual strength, and while I do, You fill my heart with a hope that does not disappoint. I know GREATER IS COMING FOR ME! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word. Apply it and prosper!
