When waiting is safer than acting

David had many enemies and he faced many battles. At times he was on the run and situations seemed hopeless. But throughout all his trials and difficulties he never forgot the lessons of his early years. Lessons he had learnt while looking after the sheep. The Lord was close to him and he learned to be able to trust that inner voice of God which had been his steadfast defence on so many occasions. God had showed him what to do when defending his flock from the lion and the bear. David had learnt by experience that he could really trust the voice of his God.

David’s words, from today’s Scripture, were not just religious words without serious meaning – they were his own lifetime experience. He was passing on his experience of God to others and training them in the fact that even if things look pretty black, God can be trusted and it is better to wait for God to act than to act hastily and turn away from trusting in Him.

Many years ago I was in the middle of a business crisis. I was under personal physical threat and my business was on the edge of bankruptcy. It would have been easy to turn my back on God and blame him for my problems, when in reality the mess was a result of my own mistake. But God heard my cry and on the very day that my accuser began to threaten my very life, God delivered me from him in the most miraculous of ways. I felt like a bird that had been released from a trap – I was free, I could fly again. God had given me another chance.

I have never forgotten that experience. It is etched on my memory for ever. I learnt in the extremes of near disaster that to be strong and wait for the Lord is not just good advice – but on some occasions, it is life-saving advice! As I am writing this, I am conscious that some people reading this Seed of the Kingdom may well be locked in a difficult situation with no obvious way out. May I encourage you to put your trust in the Lord, who delivered David on so many occasions out of the hand of his enemies, and wait patiently for Him to act.

Prayer: Thank you Lord that you are a God who hears and answers prayer. Help me to be patient as I wait for you. I choose to trust you in a new way today and look forward to your answer to the cries of my heart. In Jesus’ name, Amen.