Think How Encouraged You Will Be
Sometimes it is just hard to wait on the Lord to solve a problem. We can be going through some pretty tough times and be at our wit’s end. We may not have any strength left to stand and fight. Our faith may be dwindling. David probably felt the same way at times. He hadn’t done anything wrong. He had been a faithful servant to King Saul, but Saul was jealous and was out to get him. Several times David was within inches of King Saul. Each time he was presented with the opportunity to eliminate his problem. Each time he used wisdom and did not use those opportunities to his advantage. He waited on the Lord. His patience was rewarded on several occasions. Read I Samuel 24: 16-22.
16 When David finished saying these things to him, Saul replied, “Is that your voice, David my son?” Then Saul wept aloud 17 and said to David, “You are more righteous than I, for you have done what is good to me though I have done what is evil to you. 18 You yourself have told me today what good you did for me: when the LORD handed me over to you, you didn’t kill me. 19 When a man finds his enemy, does he let him go unharmed? May the LORD repay you with good for what you’ve done for me today. 20 “Now I know for certain you will be king, and the kingdom of Israel will be established in your hand. 21 Therefore swear to me by the LORD that you will not cut off my descendants or wipe out my name from my father’s family.” 22 So David swore to Saul. Then Saul went back home, and David and his men went up to the stronghold.
In this passage we see King Saul recognize the error of his ways. He sees he is wrong about David. He recognizes that David will be King next. He seeks David’s protection for his family. Saul stopped pursuing David and his men. What a relief it must have been for David to hear those words and be left in peace. David was no doubt very encouraged by this turn of events. He had remained faithful all this time and God rewarded him. God gave encouragement through King Saul’s words to David. God used that opportunity to remind David that someday he would be King.
The same is true for us. We just need to be patient. No matter how bad things may seem, we need to think about how encouraged we will be when the Lord provides us with answers, solves our problems and protects us.
