Times of Waiting
Times of waiting can be painful and disorienting.
In the story of David there is an encouragement for our waiting that may go unnoticed.
God has his perspective
David, the successor as the King of Israel to Saul has an interesting beginning. God plucks him from the shadows of obscurity and leads him into more shadows.
God sends Samuel out to find the next king:
When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought, “Surely the Lord's anointed is before him.” 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” …
“Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest, but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.
How I often read this
I often read this story and think about how God could raise me up like David. There are parts of me that aren’t as spectacular as other peoples attributes and gifts. This story gives me hope that God wants to use me. Maybe even in mighty ways that others would never think could be done through me. In ways that I would never think could be done through me, because “the lord sees not as man sees”..
That’s not a bad way to read this text. David was the youngest and tending sheep. His father didn’t even bring him out when Samuel asked to see all of his sons. And yet, here was God’s man chosen as King.
I often thought the only lesson for me was God is always at work and will come through for us when we least expect it.
A new way to read the story
But as I reflected today, I saw a new way to read it.
David was appointed King in 1st Samuel 16, but doesn’t take the throne until 2nd Samuel 5. Between these two points the story turns quite dark as Saul is so overrun with his jealousy that he seeks to kill David. David, being promised the kingship, now must run away from home, hiding in caves and living with strangers.
Two times David could have killed Saul. (1st Sam 24:9, 26:9) He could have ended the feud, taken the kingship, and started his journey as King, not as nomad. But David says “Far be it from me… the Lord forbid it”.
David doesn’t try to rush God’s timeline. He simply lives where He is placed, trusting God will, in time, take him where he is to go.
The new lessons that I missed in this account, first, just because David was aware of what God had called him to do, did not mean his waiting was done. Second, God uses the shadows of obscurity.
Can anything good come out of waiting?
Can you imagine? Called to be King of a nation. Only to still be sidelined. How do you think David felt? Abandoned by God? Confused? Sad?
He held no pity party though. The text says that when an opportunity for service came, to work for Saul of all people, David took it. Working for Saul as a musician, playing the lyre for Saul when he was tormented and in bad moods.
David was skilled in singing and playing music.
And it was these skills that he used to compose the Psalms. Songs and poems and prayers meant to help us in difficult moments. The expressions of a man who feels deeply with his heart. And when did David write these works? In the shadows of obscurity. In caves away from home. On the run.
Is it too much to say that what God used David for in the obscurity and the waiting was any less important than what God did with David exalted as King?
How many countless people have been helped, blessed, encouraged, by the Psalms? Things written when David felt abandoned. Lost. Confused. Sad. Angry. Because what He assumed God was going to do in His life didn’t look the way he envisioned.
The Lord sees not as man sees.
We all yearn to be elevated. To do meaningful things. But we must not believe the lie that God will finally use us when we leave the shadows of obscurity. He may be using us more than we are aware within them.
Working to be content where I am placed for the service of the King,
Josh.