Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed (David) in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward.  So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. ~ 1 Samuel 16:13

Do you notice that after Samuel anointed David as king Samuel got up and left?  Did he take David with him?  No he didn’t.  If you are familiar with this story (and if you are not read the full chapter here) you know that David had been called in from tending the sheep to meet Samuel.  When Samuel saw him the LORD spoke to Samuel saying, “Arise, anoint him, for this is the one!” (1 Samuel 16:12).  The verses do not tell us what David did after being anointed but my guess is that he went back to tending the sheep, at the same time praying and worshiping the Lord.

Now, to my human not-all-knowing mind, it would make sense for Samuel to take David that day and proclaim to all of Israel that the LORD had anointed a new king (Chapter 15 tells us the the LORD regretted having set up Saul as King).  But alas, I am not all-knowing, and that is not what happened.  Samuel and David waited on the LORD and His timing.  Before David took the crown he first became a common face in the king’s household (1 Samuel 16:14-23), killed Goliath (1 Samuel 17), developed as a mighty man of war (1 Samuel 18:5), and married Saul’s daughter (1 Samuel 18:17-30).  On top of all that he had to endure years of being persecuted by Saul.

Do you ever feel like you want a promise from God RIGHT NOW!?!  Maybe that promise came from something you read in His word or He spoke something to your heart or someone spoke a prophecy into your life (SIDE NOTE: If the Lord speaks to your heart or you hear from Him through prophesy, remember that He will never contradict His own Word).  Is the waiting for that promise more than you think you can handle?  If so, remember this story of David.  David, you know the guy referred to as “a man after God’s own heart,” had a lot of maturing to do, a bit of spiritual-training if you will, before the LORD’s promise was completely fulfilled and David became king.  We too have much spiritual-training to complete.

I encourage you to be patient.  God didn’t give you a promise and then walk away calling over His shoulder, “Alright, I’ll get back to you when I get back to you.”  No, the Lord is working in your life right now.  He is preparing you for a great work.  I realize that sometimes the preparation can be tough and that sometime (most times) we can’t see how everything is going to turn out.  That’s where our faith comes in.  The Lord has made promises and we must wait for Him to make them happen.  Doing anything in our own power, even in His name, will only muck-up the situation.

Lord, thank You for this reminder to be patient.  You anointed David at a young age and because of his patiences You blessed him greatly, even bring the Messiah to the world through his family.  Lord, help me also to be patient and trust in You.  I can’t see the future but I know You can.  Thank You for fulfilling Your promises.  I love You.  In Your name.  Amen.

I hope my thoughts help you understand how this scripture can be applied to our modern lives, but don’t just take my word for it.  Dive into The Bible yourself, pray, and ask the Lord to reveal His truth to you.

Have a question or a thought?  Please feel free to leave a comment.