February 10, 2025

Coping With Delay

In 1 Samuel 16:12-13 David was anointed to be king over Israel:

“And [Jesse] sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to. And the LORD said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he. Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.” (KJV)

Most scholars believe David was somewhere between 10 to 15 years of age when this occurred. However, it was over 20 years before Samuel’s prophecy was fulfilled in 2 Samuel 5:1-5:

“Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.”

According to these verses David was 30 years old when he became king. However, the first 7 years of his reign David was King over only the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, commonly referred to simply as Judah (verses 4-5); Saul’s son, Ish-bosheth, ruled over the actual nation of Israel. During the seven years David ruled Judah, his throne was in Hebron. Finally, when he was 37, David was made king over all of Israel, and moved his throne to Jerusalem, as described in the remainder of the chapter.

The math isn’t complicated: if David was 10 years old when Samuel anointed him, it means he waited 27 years before the word was fulfilled; if he was 11 when anointed, he waited 26 years, and so on. My point is simply that David waited a long time before his word came to pass. And the waiting was anything but pleasant. During those years, David was horribly persecuted by King Saul, became an outcast from Israel, lived in caves, and struggled to survive. His home was not a palace, but a cave named Adullam.

Many of the psalms were written during this time. In Psalm 27:1, David penned, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defense of my life; whom shall I dread?” (NAS) These words are much more meaningful when we realize David wrote them by candlelight in a dark, damp cave, during a time when the king of Israel had a bounty on his head. 

David did not write the incredible 23rd Psalm, which has brought comfort to untold millions over the years, in a coffee shop or an air-conditioned office. He wrote it while fleeing from Saul, in exile from his own people, and living among strangers - even enemies. His life was continually threatened. The Psalm is an outpouring of David’s confidence in the Lord and trust in His care, even when experiencing the very real threat of death. He used memories of shepherding and protecting his father’s sheep to picture the Lord’s care for him. “Just as I was their shepherd, You are my Shepherd.” David was declaring. “You feed me, protect me, and comfort me.”

He wrote the amazing 91st Psalm during this same season of his life. While living in caves, David declared that he was dwelling in the shelter of the Most High, abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. Take some time and read this Psalm as you consider David’s circumstances. What amazing declarations of faith; what an incredible trust in the Lord he possessed. 

God did not waste David’s Adullum years; they were part of his training: 

• He learned to trust

• He learned to lead, beginning with his army of misfits and outcasts

• He learned humility

• He learned to overcome rejection and betrayal

• He learned to appreciate the small things

• He learned to wait

• He learned of God’s faithfulness

• And he learned to love the presence of God

When a journey toward a God-given promise becomes unexpectedly long, is plagued with difficult delays and fraught with monumental challenges, remember that the delays haven’t taken Him by surprise. He knew how long it would take, foresaw the obstacles, planned how you would overcome them, and determined how He would use them to prepare you for your destiny. When you finally arrive at the goal, you’ll realize you didn’t arrive late. Because He was aware of the upcoming delays, your Father simply started the journey far enough in advance to use the delays as part of your training. He made them serve you, and got you to your destination right on time… just like He did David.

One more thing. The seven years David spent reigning over Judah in Hebron were not unimportant or insignificant, just one more delay waiting for “the real thing.” Hebron means “covenantal friendship;” it was actually here that God’s friend, Abraham, was buried. God wanted David to know, before he rose to the throne over all of Israel, that the ultimate key to success was intimacy with Him. Hebron was also the mountain city in the promised land where Caleb conquered its greatest giant. The Lord needed David to know that covenant with Him was the key to overcoming life’s giants. “Learn that lesson, David, and you’ll be ready for the ultimate throne in Jerusalem.”

The purpose of the post today is to remind all of us that when it seems a promise from God is taking forever, this is neither without purpose nor was it unexpected by Him. He is using the time to accomplish His purposes. This is true for us as individuals, and also for nations. God knew how long it would take to restore America, and started early enough to get us to the finish line right on time. Not only will America be saved, she will be saved right on time. We have conquered our Adullam’s, killed our giants, learned many lessons, built our friendship with God, and are now heading toward Jerusalem.

Stay the course. 

Pray with me:

Father, we have been on a long journey to see America saved and restored. Like David, we occasionally experience setbacks, demonic opposition, the actions of unrighteous leaders, abusive policies, and other delays. Please keep the ekklesia reminded that these delays have not taken You by surprise, that You planned ahead for our victories, and just how You would use the battles to mature us.

As we move into a season in which we experience breakthroughs, please keep us reminded that we must persevere in our prayers. Give increasing revelation to the church that our unseen prayers can literally produce visible results in Washington D.C., and other cities here and abroad. May we not leave our posts on the wall, watching and listening for Your alerts and instructions. 

We pray that the exposure of the Deep State in America continues. You said righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people. (Proverbs 14:34) We have been disgraced by unrighteous actions in our nation, and the people indeed groan under the weight of sin and deceit. Continue to use good and wise leaders to expose, expose, expose. And as You cleanse and heal America, use this restoration to bring a season of peace on the Earth that is conducive to tremendous harvest. We call forth the billion soul harvest You have spoken of, just as Ezekiel was commanded to do. (Ezekiel 37) And we pray all of this in the name that gives us access to You, Jesus. 

Our decree:

We decree that we, God’s ekklesia on earth, will NOT grow weary in our well-doing, and we WILL reap in our “due season.”

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