Scripture
"David became greater and greater, for the LORD God of hosts was with him. Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees and carpenters and stonemasons; and they built a house for David. And David realized that the LORD had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel" (2 Samuel 5:10-12)
Observation
Reading the Bible is like watching a DVD on fast forward. As we flip the pages years pass by for the characters in each story. David's life seems to zip along. He starts in the sheep pen, then off to Golaith, then into Saul's castle, then off in the wilderness from cave, to Philistines, to Keilah, to Ziklag, then his first crown at Hebron, then again at Jerusalem. But as David watched the story of his life it played for him in real time. He could not read ahead as we can so easily. There was no fast forward through commercials.
In real time David missed what God was really doing. Becoming king over all of the nation happened so steadily that David missed God's hand in it all. But the day that King David stood in his own home that he never paid for was when David realized what God had been doing all along.
There are scenic resting places on the journey of our lives where we can stop and see where the Lord has been up to. We may have lived through it but like David we missed it. Much of what happens from day to day is a meaningless plodding along with our eyes focused on the next step in front of us. But then when we stop and look back, then we see all that the Lord has been up to.
This is what happened yesterday afternoon when all the leaders came together for the combined leaders' mentoring. Since January, we have been meeting in small groups of men and women and sharing our struggles and stories. But yesterday afternoon as some of us shared what God has been doing in our lives, we saw what God was really doing - building of family altars; anchoring on the Word to see breakthroughs; prioritizing God amidst busyness; ensuring we don't turn blessings into curses; bringing a balance to an over scheduled lifestyle; getting the mentoring group to hold us accountable to one another - God has been at work! And there has been growth in the inner life!
In real time David missed what God was really doing. Becoming king over all of the nation happened so steadily that David missed God's hand in it all. But the day that King David stood in his own home that he never paid for was when David realized what God had been doing all along.
There are scenic resting places on the journey of our lives where we can stop and see where the Lord has been up to. We may have lived through it but like David we missed it. Much of what happens from day to day is a meaningless plodding along with our eyes focused on the next step in front of us. But then when we stop and look back, then we see all that the Lord has been up to.
This is what happened yesterday afternoon when all the leaders came together for the combined leaders' mentoring. Since January, we have been meeting in small groups of men and women and sharing our struggles and stories. But yesterday afternoon as some of us shared what God has been doing in our lives, we saw what God was really doing - building of family altars; anchoring on the Word to see breakthroughs; prioritizing God amidst busyness; ensuring we don't turn blessings into curses; bringing a balance to an over scheduled lifestyle; getting the mentoring group to hold us accountable to one another - God has been at work! And there has been growth in the inner life!
Application
We're not sure exactly how many years there were from the sheep pen to the throne in Jerusalem, maybe 15 or 20 years. But the message is clear enough: not everything happens at once. God is at work in slow motion as well as at high speed. We need to learn to detect the increase of God's blessing in our lives that may be as gradual as an expanding balloon.
Prayer
Father, help me to consider your work in my life today so that I don't miss what you are doing.
