The Long Road

• Printable Version - Share on Facebook - Posted by Dion Todd September 8, 2016 - Filed in Devotional - 11,307 views
  In times past, when Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and in. Yahweh said to you, You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over Israel. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a covenant with them in Hebron before Yahweh: and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 2 Samuel 5:2 WEB
  
  David was just a young boy when God had Samuel anoint him as king over Israel. David was probably between ten to fifteen when this happened (1 Samuel 16:13). It does not give an exact age, but he was so young that he was not even considered to be a contender when they lined up his seven brothers (1 Samuel 16:9). God passed over the first seven brothers, then chose David, who was the least of the least and was passed over by everyone else.
  
  When David was anointed with oil in the midst of his brothers, the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him. From that day forth, David began to grow into his destiny. Difficult obstacles appeared and divine doors opened. David killed lions, bears, then giants (1 Samuel 17:36) and tens of thousands of philistines (1 Samuel 18:7). He played music for king Saul and became his armor bearer (1 Samuel 16:21). He loved and he lost (1 Samuel 18:19).
  
  At thirty years old, David actually became king. There was a gap of fifteen to twenty years between the promise and the fulfillment. God used this time to refine David, train him, establish him in the eyes of the people, and thoroughly test his character. You could have randomly chosen a day from David's life and it would have looked pretty mundane, but when we read the book of highlights, it is exciting.
  
  The Lord told me when I was young that I would be in ministry one day, but I seemed to end up in everything except that. I was a mechanic, a house painter, a carpenter, I worked with computers. It was twenty five years later that suddenly I was pushed into ministry. It had not been in my plans the day before it happened and it caught me totally by surprise, because I had long given up on that.
  
  We often want it all now and can't look past today, while God is looking at our entire life. It was a long road from the promise until the fulfillment. The day is coming when what the Lord has promised you, will be fulfilled. That thing that has always been in the back of your mind, that you have almost given up on, will yet come to pass. That day is still coming.
  
  Prayer: Father, help me be as faithful as You are. Lead me into all that You have for me. Help me to stand strong in the face of adversity. I put my trust in You. Have Your way in my life, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray.