Waiting sucks.
Whether we’re waiting for a parking spot or waiting in line, no one really likes waiting. Waiting is even more difficult when it comes to more serious matters like waiting for healing from a disease, waiting to be blessed with a child or waiting to find a job.
We can learn a lot about waiting by looking at the life of David.
David was anointed as Israel’s next king when he was about 15 years old. He actually didn’t become king, though, for another 15 years. He was anointed as king at 15 but didn’t become king until he was 30. David literally waited half of his life before becoming king.
David didn’t just twiddle his thumbs for 15 years, though. He made the most of his season of waiting.
During his waiting David continued to pursue God. David was known as a man after God’s own heart, partially because of his ability to pursue God even while waiting. The Psalms are filled with David’s proclamations of God’s goodness in the midst of his waiting. Instead of getting frustrated with God for not fulfilling his anointing, David continued to place his faith and trust in God.
During his waiting David also prepared himself for what was next. David spent a lot of his time waiting in the fields with his father’s sheep. When lions and bears came to eat a sheep, David would rescue the sheep by striking down the wild animal. I probably would have given up on the sheep, but David didn’t. He allowed his encounters with the lions and bears to hone his skills as a warrior. So, when the time came to stand up to Goliath, David was more than prepared.
Waiting does suck but it doesn’t have to be unproductive. Waiting can give us the opportunity to lean deeper into God and to prepare ourselves for a coming task. David made the most out of his waiting and we can too.
What helps you make the most out of waiting?
This post was based off my sermon from this past weekend, which you can download here.
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