God will get you there, not you
September 1, 2012
From the above verses, it can be seen that David didn't go out to gather to himself an army. He didn't even go out to make himself king in Judah or even Israel after the death of Saul and his sons. In each instance, God worked and led the people to make him king, to enter his army, and to support him as the king of Israel. This is so different from other characters such as Moses and Jacob, who knew the purpose of God for themselves, but sought to achieve it through their own means, resulting in much distress, trouble, and disillusionment. David of course did not go through life without hardship. He was pursued by Saul who wanted to kill him, but even during that period of persecution, God was with him, providing him with protection & people to support him along the way.
I find this fact that God's purposes will be brought into fruition by God himself very important and often times overlooked in ministry. We may know God's calling or purpose for ourselves, our ministry, our church, etc., but instead of waiting on God and seeking His leading in how we are to get there or fulfill that, we immediately jump with the knowledge into action and, in the process, offend others (who may not yet have been revealed God's purpose) and bring unnecessary troubles & frustration on ourselves (since no one else seems to be supportive). Of course, there are times when God may call us to be the odd one out who needs to stand up for something not supported simply because He's called us to that. But I think we often overlook the fact that God will bring His purposes into fruition; He doesn't intend to just tell us where we are to head towards, He'll get us there. But too often, we jump to trying to get there through our own means.
I got to experience this during retreat ministry. We were praying about what to do for the last small group discussion time and had two plans in mind to pick from. During prayer, I felt led to prepare for plan A, but when I asked my coleaders what they felt after prayer, they said they were fine either way, but plan B seemed much easier to handle. So I didn't say anything; we agreed to pray more that night before deciding the next morning. That night, I prayed that if it were really God's will and leading that we go with plan A, that he'd lead my coleaders to make that decision. It's very difficult to plan for a small group discussion last minute and without the support that comes from all the leaders knowing themselves where exactly God was leading us, and so I honestly did not want to be the odd one out to say that I felt God leading us to do plan A. The next morning, through some pretty amazing turn of events, all my coleaders decided themselves to go with plan A, even though it would require a lot of last minute planning and more responsibility. I was amazed by the way God worked in the situation. I was amazed at how much easier ministry truly is when we wait for God's timing and working out of His will. Had I immediately said I felt led to do plan A, the burden of planning and organizing it would have fell on me, and that would have been quite a lot to handle, since I'd also have to keep demonstrating and persuading my coleaders of how that was where God was leading us. But God brought His purposes into fruition, and with all of them on board with the plan, we ended up planning it together excitedly.
In the same way, had David really wanted to, he could have killed Saul and established his own kingdom. He would have been king, as God had already told him he would be. But David would have had to fight against the Israelites his brethern; he would have had to convince the Israelites of the fact that he was the anointed and that he was worth their allegiance over Saul. He would have had to do a lot instead of simply waiting and seeing how God would work. When David became king of Israel, everyone was on board with it. As the above verses showed, they themselves came to make him king. Isn't that amazing?
I pray that we would experience this more and more in ministry (and even just in our lives). Ministry is difficult, at times a burden, and a great responsibility, but the God we serve is bigger than all that. When we seek Him and wait for His direction and leading and not just act at the immediate onset of knowing where He intends for us to go, we will find that we have to do a lot less than we would have imagined. God isn't a God who just tells us where we're suppose to head to, and leaves us to figure out the rest, but He is a God who will help us get there. It's truly a blessing and an amazing experience to see God not only tell you where you should go, but demonstrate that He can get you there.
For from day to day men came to David to help him, until there was a great army, like an army of God.(1 Chronicles 12:22 ESV)These verses show me repeatedly that God, who had anointed and called David to be king, would also make him king. David did not have to make himself king through his own means, but God led him each step of the way and led the people of Israel to support him. After David was anointed, he did not declare war on Saul and take over. Even when he had opportunities to kill Saul and be the rightful king (after all, hadn't God anointed him?), he did not. I think he did not kill Saul for two reasons. (1 Sam. 26:9-11) One, Saul was the anointed of God as well, and David has a respect for the authority God has placed in power, even if the authority has ceased to be supported by God. Second, David knew that since God had anointed him to be king, God would carry out that purpose for him. It is this second reason that I want to focus on.
And David brought up his men who were with him, everyone with his household, and they lived in the towns of Hebron. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah.(2 Samuel 2:3-4 ESV)
All these, men of war, arrayed in battle order, came to Hebron with a whole heart to make David king over all Israel. Likewise, all the rest of Israel were of a single mind to make David king.(1 Chronicles 12:38 ESV)
From the above verses, it can be seen that David didn't go out to gather to himself an army. He didn't even go out to make himself king in Judah or even Israel after the death of Saul and his sons. In each instance, God worked and led the people to make him king, to enter his army, and to support him as the king of Israel. This is so different from other characters such as Moses and Jacob, who knew the purpose of God for themselves, but sought to achieve it through their own means, resulting in much distress, trouble, and disillusionment. David of course did not go through life without hardship. He was pursued by Saul who wanted to kill him, but even during that period of persecution, God was with him, providing him with protection & people to support him along the way.
I find this fact that God's purposes will be brought into fruition by God himself very important and often times overlooked in ministry. We may know God's calling or purpose for ourselves, our ministry, our church, etc., but instead of waiting on God and seeking His leading in how we are to get there or fulfill that, we immediately jump with the knowledge into action and, in the process, offend others (who may not yet have been revealed God's purpose) and bring unnecessary troubles & frustration on ourselves (since no one else seems to be supportive). Of course, there are times when God may call us to be the odd one out who needs to stand up for something not supported simply because He's called us to that. But I think we often overlook the fact that God will bring His purposes into fruition; He doesn't intend to just tell us where we are to head towards, He'll get us there. But too often, we jump to trying to get there through our own means.
I got to experience this during retreat ministry. We were praying about what to do for the last small group discussion time and had two plans in mind to pick from. During prayer, I felt led to prepare for plan A, but when I asked my coleaders what they felt after prayer, they said they were fine either way, but plan B seemed much easier to handle. So I didn't say anything; we agreed to pray more that night before deciding the next morning. That night, I prayed that if it were really God's will and leading that we go with plan A, that he'd lead my coleaders to make that decision. It's very difficult to plan for a small group discussion last minute and without the support that comes from all the leaders knowing themselves where exactly God was leading us, and so I honestly did not want to be the odd one out to say that I felt God leading us to do plan A. The next morning, through some pretty amazing turn of events, all my coleaders decided themselves to go with plan A, even though it would require a lot of last minute planning and more responsibility. I was amazed by the way God worked in the situation. I was amazed at how much easier ministry truly is when we wait for God's timing and working out of His will. Had I immediately said I felt led to do plan A, the burden of planning and organizing it would have fell on me, and that would have been quite a lot to handle, since I'd also have to keep demonstrating and persuading my coleaders of how that was where God was leading us. But God brought His purposes into fruition, and with all of them on board with the plan, we ended up planning it together excitedly.
In the same way, had David really wanted to, he could have killed Saul and established his own kingdom. He would have been king, as God had already told him he would be. But David would have had to fight against the Israelites his brethern; he would have had to convince the Israelites of the fact that he was the anointed and that he was worth their allegiance over Saul. He would have had to do a lot instead of simply waiting and seeing how God would work. When David became king of Israel, everyone was on board with it. As the above verses showed, they themselves came to make him king. Isn't that amazing?
I pray that we would experience this more and more in ministry (and even just in our lives). Ministry is difficult, at times a burden, and a great responsibility, but the God we serve is bigger than all that. When we seek Him and wait for His direction and leading and not just act at the immediate onset of knowing where He intends for us to go, we will find that we have to do a lot less than we would have imagined. God isn't a God who just tells us where we're suppose to head to, and leaves us to figure out the rest, but He is a God who will help us get there. It's truly a blessing and an amazing experience to see God not only tell you where you should go, but demonstrate that He can get you there.
...according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will...(Eph 1:11)
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