Waiting on God’s will

So David and Abishai went right into Saul’s camp and found him asleep, with his spear stuck in the ground beside his head. Abner and the soldiers were lying asleep around him. “God has surely handed your enemy over to you this time!” Abishai whispered to David. “Let me pin him to the ground with one thrust of the spear; I won’t need to strike twice!” “No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! 1 Samuel 26:7-11 There will be times that we will get tempted to take shortcuts to our destinations in life. We will find it easier to take matters trusting our resources rather than to wait for God’s will. David was confronted with this temptation several times. Though God appointed him to become the next king of Israel, he found himself on the run because he was being hunted by King Saul. King Saul got jealous when David became popular among the Israelites after he defeated Goliath. Samuel, who was God’s prophet, anointed David for he would succeed and be the next king of Israel (1 Sam. 16:12-13). David was willing to wait on God’s timing. He trusted God that He will fulfill His promise in His own time. Instead of getting distraught and frustrated because Saul would not stop pursuing him so he could kill him, David instead offered his prayer to God. “Now may the Lord value my life, even as I have valued yours today. May he rescue me from all my troubles” (v. 24). Though David was presented an opportunity to stop King Saul in a vulnerable position while he and his armies were sleeping in the tent, instead he commanded Abishai, one of David’s warriors, not to kill Saul. David refused to compromise his integrity. He was willing to listen and wait on God. Accomplishing God’s will in any manner other than the way God set was unthinkable. We will be confronted with this dilemma. There will be times that even our well-meaning friends will advise us to rush things out and take matters into our hands even if the action taken will disregard the will of God. You may be greatly tempted to take control of your situation, assuming the end will justify the means. Instead of doing this, learn from David’s example by asking God in prayer and trust His perfect timing. It is better to wait on God’s timing for His answer will not come a second too soon or too late. To learn how to wait on the Lord will help develop the character He wants to produce in our life. “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (James 1:3).

Blessings,

Noel De Guzman

www.my-wbc.com