Scripture:

“Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. Some of Saul’s servants said to him, ‘A tormenting spirit from God is troubling you. Let us find a good musician to play the harp whenever the tormenting spirit troubles you. He will play soothing music, and you will soon be well again.’

 

‘All right,’ Saul said. ‘Find me someone who plays well, and bring him here.’

 

One of the servants said to Saul, ‘One of Jesse’s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that—he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.’

 

So Saul sent messengers to Jesse to say, ‘Send me your son David, the shepherd.’ Jesse responded by sending David to Saul, along with a young goat, a donkey loaded with bread, and a wineskin full of wine. So David went to Saul and began serving him. Saul loved David very much, and David became his armor bearer. 

 

Then Saul sent word to Jesse asking, ‘Please let David remain in my service, for I am very pleased with him.’ And whenever the tormenting spirit from God troubled Saul, David would play the harp. Then Saul would feel better, and the tormenting spirit would go away.” 1 Samuel 16:14-23 (NLT)

 

Perspective:

David had been anointed as the next king of Israel. The prophet, Samuel, had come to his house in obedience to God. Samuel thought one of his other brothers would be the next king based on appearance. But, God was doing something significant in David’s heart as he daily watched the sheep in the field. After this had happened, Saul needed comforting because God was no longer with him, so his servants wanted to find a harpist. One of the servants knew of David; his reputation preceded him. David, who had been anointed as the next king, would now serve in the king’s court. Saul knew of David as the shepherd, but God knew David as the next king. Imagine David, knowing about his future, but not knowing how it would work out. He would one day sit on the throne occupied by the ruler of his country. The first time David arrived with his harp, he probably looked around in awe – the servants waiting on Saul, the lavish life of being king, the struggle, the enemies, the battles. Samuel had anointed David to be the next king, but it would be years before it would come to pass. David would learn in the hidden years what he couldn’t have learned in the palace as king. He would learn about leading people when a group of men would help protect him from Saul. He would learn about friendship from Jonathan, Saul’s son. He would learn about seeking God and trusting Him even when he was on the run. But when David sat in Saul’s presence playing the harp, he didn’t know all of it. It would seem that there would be a straight line between where he was at to where he was going. Yet, David’s time spent with Saul was part of the preparation he needed to later serve as king. In that moment, he was honoring the Lord by playing the harp to the best of his ability, not lobbying for a position. If it was the Lord’s promise, it would be up to the Lord to fulfill it. David simply needed to honor God in that season of his life.

 

The gaps between where we are now and where we are going can sometimes seem long. When God allows us to see glimpses into our future by placing dreams inside our hearts, we want it to happen now. We don’t really want the waiting period, the time of transition, or the preparation. We would rather walk onto a built stage instead of allowing God to build something deep in our lives.  If our focus is on the future instead of the present, we are likely to miss the opportunities God is giving us right now. God doesn’t miss a thing, and He is able to weave each season into our story. What if it took 20, 30, 40, or 50 years for you to see God’s promise come to fruition in your life? We don’t know the dates and deadlines of seasons. God simply gives us the opportunity to respond in faith today. As David’s time playing the harp for king Saul was not unproductive, your investment in where God has placed you today is not useless. It might not look the way you thought it would. When it seemed like David was sitting on the wrong side of the room in the wrong role, he was actually right where God needed him to be. Don’t discredit God’s direction thus far. Trust Him with tomorrow, because He sees the whole picture when we can only see a glimpse.

 

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

[separator_small separator_width=” thickness=” up=” down=”]

About Hona Amer

I help people live life to the fullest. Check out my book, Smart Work U. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram. In order to receive updates, subscribe below.

 

 

 

[separator_small separator_width=” thickness=” up=” down=”]