God is Working While You Wait

Thank you for that good prayer. If you got your Bibles with you, let's turn to 2 Samuel chapter 5. We're going to continue our study in the book of 2 Samuel. We've been looking at David and we're here. It's time. It's the day David's going to be king. We have gone with him from 1st Samuel 30 through chapter 31. We've gone four chapters into 2 Samuel and we have finally arrived. Everything's going to be good, right? Y'all ever get the feeling that life is a little bit random? Um, you know, a little bit uh disconnected. You know what I mean? Like a season of joy here and then a season of sorrow there. a victory over here and then a setback over here, a prayer answered here and a prayer unanswered here. We have a good day, but then we have days where we're losing a dear brother. And from our perspective, life can kind of feel random and fragmented. And David, he had had, you know, Goliath and then he had had the valley of Eli and then he had had the cave of Adulum. And scripture is throughout 1 Samuel and going on into 2 Samuel and all of scripture. What we see is God is intimately involved in the details of our lives. Both the good and the bad. And we're going to see this again today. David's king, but guess what? Still needs God. David's king, but guess what? Problems aren't going to go away. And scripture repeatedly reminds us that God is always working in a larger story that we cannot see. So, here we are. We're at 2 Samuel. Like I said, David is finally king. And it appears to be a sudden moment of triumph. Yet, the reality is is that for several chapters, God has been working toward this moment for years and is even when he's anointed, still working. God worked in the sheep fields. God worked in the valley of Eli. God worked in the wilderness years. God was in that cave with David. And none of those events, none of those events has been wasted. And and and some of us might need to hear that today that the God who was working in David's life in every moment still working today. And so here we start with verse one. Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron and spake and said, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. So let's stop for just a second. David has been king over Judah for seven years. He was fighting. Shibashef is dead. And now his servants who are the the people of Israel, not the people of Judah, but the people of Israel, they decide, you know what? It's time. Let's go to David. Let's make peace. And they invoke the bro code. We are bone of thy bone and flesh of thy flesh. David, we're your cousins. Let's stop the fight. and and and and this this has been a nation divided. Civil war has weakened the kingdom. And now the elders have this remarkable confession. We are thy bone and thy flesh. I want you to notice what they didn't say. They didn't say, "Hey, David, we voted and we decided to make you king." Because what they're doing right now is they're recognizing what God has already done. Dig what they say? It says verse two, "Also in times past," this is them talking. Also in times past when Saul was king over us, thou David was he who led and brought in Israel. In other words, hey David, even though Saul wore the crown, you're you're the one that had the heart of the king. We saw God's hand on you. And let's just pause and take a 2026 moment here because there's a lesson. Just having a title doesn't make you a good leader. What makes you a good leader is character under pressure. And we had seen in 30 chapters, 31 chapters of 1 Samuel, David's character tested time and time again. And so did the people of Israel. And they watched and they saw God's hand on him. David was a leader before he was ever crowned. But God knew that those years when he was in the cave and in the wilderness and in the in the struggle, God knew that David needed those years as a moment of preparation. And I say that because there's so many people that want the crown, but they don't want the problems. They want the crown, but they don't want the preparation. People want the crown, but God works in the opposite way. David in those fields he he learned leadership and in the valley of Ela when he facing down Goliath he he learned courage and he learned dependence in the cave of Adulum and the other caves but in in those situations God didn't change David's circumstances what he did was he used the circumstances to shape David's heart and that truth extends beyond kings and thrones because today some of y'all are walking through difficult seasons right now. Today, some of y'all are carrying burdens that nobody else can face. Today, some of y'all are facing health struggle, family struggles, financial pressures, disappointments, uncertainties about the future. And it's easy to think that those events are interruptions. But what if they are classrooms? The sheepfields taught David about faithfulness. The valleys taught him about courage. the the caves taught him about trust. And the same God who is working in that is still at work today. And I know that the problems that we face aren't things that we would choose. They might not even be pleasant, but they are never pointless. And God often is doing deep works in those hidden places. Yeah, the world they focus on the crown while God sees the character that's being formed. This is what Paul says in Romans chapter 9 21. Hath not the potter power over the clay? Children of God, we have difficulties and we struggle sometimes and sometimes just like that lump of clay. And I just just imagine and maybe it's because I have a twisted mind, but sometimes I I think about that imagery. Hath not the potter power of the clay. and is picturing God being the potter and us just being the lump of clay, which is kind of appropriate because a lot of times my life feels like it's spinning out of control, right? A lot of times I feel pressure. A lot of times I feel stretched. A lot of times I feel like I'm being remolded. But here's what I need to remember. The pressure and the stretching and the remolding is part of a potter who loves me beyond belief, whose hand is upon our lives. And he's he's giving us the pressure. And sometimes we interpret problems and disappointments as evidence that God has stopped working. And yet scripture completely teaches us something different. Scripture teaches us that that God is at work. And the clay might not understand what the potter is doing while the wind is spooing. All it does is just feel the pressure of the hands. But y'all, every touch of the potter's hand has a purpose in your life. David did not become David in the palace. David became David in the fields and in the cave and in facing down the giants. Things that we wouldn't have picked for ourselves. And his greatest victories weren't won on the battlefield. They were won in those private years, in those difficult problems that he had when he learned that the Lord was enough. So today, if you find yourself in a valley, let Christ shine there. If you if you find yourself in a cave, trust the Lord there. If you find yourself carrying a burden that is too heavy to bear, remember in that moment that God has not forgotten about you. Because the evidences of God's blessing is is not merely that he changes our circumstances or stops our difficulty. The evidence of God's blessing is that he is sustaining us through them. And so here's what verse four says. David was 30 years old when he began to reign. Think about that because he was anointed by Samuel when he was a teenager. That I mean more than a decade had passed. Years awaiting, years of uncertainty, years of wondering, but every year had a purpose. And sometimes we assume that God is absent because God is slow. And yet what we see here in scripture is that God moves deliberately because he can see what we don't. Let's pick up with verse six. And the king and his men, that's David and his men, went to Jerusalem unto the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, which speak unto David, saying, Except thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither. Okay, that's some serious King James smack talk going on right there. So, David is the king of Judah. He's coming into Israel because the people had approached him, but not everybody's cool with it. And the Jebusites aren't cool with it because they got Jerusalem, the stronghold. They've got big walls. They've got great fortifications. And they're leaning over the wall like that Frenchman and Monty Python. And they're talking smack and they're saying, "Hey, hey, hey." You know,if if our blind and our lame are strong enough to take down your army because of these walls, I spit in your general direction. And thinking and then they said they said this thinking David cannot come in hither. Then scripture says in verse seven, ah nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion. That's that's Jerusalem. the same is the city of David. So David is here. He's going in to get what has been promised and he's been anointed for. But he's got this challenge and it's named Jerusalem. And this challenge and this this challenge the city is occupied by the Jebusites. And they are so confident that David cannot defeat them. And their confidence borders on arrogance. Except you take away the blind of the lame that shall not come in hither. So even the blind and the lame can defend this city. And from a human perspective, honestly, they got pretty good reason to believe it. Jerusalem is a fortress. The natural fortifications in addition to the walls are very impressive. The walls are secure, but there's that verse seven. Nevertheless, David took the stronghold. I love that word nevertheless because the enemy can say it is impossible. As a matter of fact, my human vantage point can say something is impossible. But God God says otherwise. And I wonder how many victories in scripture have started with the words nevertheless. Like the Red Sea, it looked impossible. I mean, here's this massive ocean and you got a million followers. You got to get across Jericho. When they first stepped into the promised land, it looked impossible. And what kind of strategy is it to walk around a city for seven days and then do nothing but blow some trumpets and smash some pots and then the walls came tumbling down? I wouldn't have seen that. And then Goliath, 9- foot giant. You're telling me you're going to beat him with a pebble? Really? But God specializes in these impossible kinds of situations. And then there was the greatest nevertheless of all. Father, when Jesus was praying in the garden of Gethsemane, if it is possible, please take this cup from me. In other words, I don't want to be crucified. I don't want to go to the cross. Jesus prayed that prayer. But then he said, "Nevertheless, not my will, but thy be done." Man, when you live in obedience to God, great things can occur. And what makes this victory especially significant is what Jerusalem, an enemy stronghold, eventually became. Because think about what happens here. Jerusalem becomes the city of David. David's going to reign there. Solomon's going to build the temple there. Prophets are going to preach there. Centuries later, Jesus himself is going to walk the streets and the gospel is going to be proclaimed there. This city, this pagan stronghold becomes the most important city in redemptive history. That's what God does. He transforms strongholds into our life into testimonies because a lot of us have areas in our life that are strongholds, enemy strongholds. Some of us are struggling with fear, with failure, with addiction, with bitterness, with pride, shame. God delights in reclaiming that territory. And the place where the enemy once ruled and become a monument of grace. What appears to be an enemy stronghold is actually part of a larger purpose. And I'm saying this because we all got strongholds in our life. My stronghold is not necessarily a stronghold that you're facing right now. But we all have obstacles. We all have problems. and they seem just as immovable as as a fortress wall occupied by Jebusites. I don't know what yours is. Maybe it's a diagnosis right now or a diagnosis of a loved one or a broken relationship or or a rebellious child. Maybe it's a financial burden or a prayer that remains unanswered. And sometimes we we think about these problems as evidence that God has stopped working. But scripture tells us otherwise. And and often these difficults that we find is exactly where we find God working. Because here's what the Jebusites saw. They saw the wall, but God saw Jerusalem where his son would walk. The disciples saw the cross, but God saw the resurrection. Martha saw the tomb but Jesus saw the father. This is verse 10 because let me tell the obstacle is not the end of the story and the difficulty and the struggles that we are facing right now is not the end of the story. Because while David is facing obstacles, hear me, God is still working. And verse 10 gives us the explanation. And David went and grew great. And here it is. And the Lord God of hosts was with him. Not because David was stronger, not because David was smarter. David grew because God was with him. And that has always been the difference. Verse 11. Now we're going to see God working through some other things. And Hyram, king of Tyra, that was an adjoining kingdom, sent messengers to David and cedar trees and carpenters and masons. And they built David in house. And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel. And he had exalted his kingdom for his people, Israel's sake. So you got King Hyram sending cedar trees and carpenters to build David a palace. And for the first time in years, life appears stable. Life appears like it's on track. The fugitive is at home. The outlaw David now has a palace. The shepherd now sits on the throne. But what strikes me as cool is David's response. And David perceived that the Lord had established him king over Israel. So David recognized the source of its blessing. He didn't credit his military ability. He didn't praise his strategy. He saw God's hand. But he also recognized something else that the kingdom was established for his people's Israel's sake. So David understood something that a lot of people miss that God's blessings were not ultimately about David. God had a larger purpose. And everything that God was doing in David's life was connected to God's care for his people. And y'all, that remains true today. God comforts us so that we can comfort others. God strengthens us so we can strengthen others. God teaches us so that we can teach others. And the blessings of the gifts of grace are nothing more than opportunities to serve. And David is at his best when he understands that the story is bigger than himself. Every prayer you pray for somebody else, every song that you sing to bring comfort to someone in a hospital, every dollar you give in support of a ministry or a charity or to lift up somebody is a blessing and you are fulfilling God's purpose. Love God and love his people. These are the greatest commands. And on them all the law hinges. Those are the words of Jesus. And so things are going really good. And then we have one of those verses that come up that go and you can hear it rutro. Read with me. Verse 13. And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem. What? What? Things are going good. You're fulfilling God's law. Everything's great. And you go and you marry concubines and wives. Why did they put up with it? What's going on with us? And and what I love about this verse, I mean, it strikes me as weird. And the writer doesn't pause to comment. simply records the fact. But we immediately sense danger. Even in season, and here's the danger. Even in seasons of success, we are completely capable of planting seeds that will later produce sorrow. Hear me again. Even in seasons of success, we are capable of planting seeds that will eventually result in some sorrow. You know why? Because here's what the Bible says about the best that you have to do. And I had a conversation not too long ago with a person. It's like, yeah, all you got to do is, you know, just God just wants you to do good. That's all you got to do is work. No, no, no, no. See, you're you're not going to heaven because you did good, right? Because this is what the Bible says about your goodness on your best day. The best that you have to do. This is what the Bible says. Read it for yourself. Your righteousness is as filthy racks. The best that you have to do is filthy rags before heavenly father. This is what the Bible says about us. There is none righteous. Know not one. So, how could David, the anointed, the one who's been through all this struggle, whose God is working through his life every single day to achieve a greater end, how could David do something so stupid? Because he's a guy. And but it has nothing to do with the fact that he's a guy. Because ladies, you're just as stupid.And and I I want there is none righteous. Not man, not woman. No, not one. We all need Jesus. Christian and Muslim and Jew and Hindu. And if you're going to heaven as a Christian or a Muslim or a Jew or Hindu, if you're going to heaven as a heterosexual or a homosexual or a trans, if you're going to heaven anyway, it's because of the righteousness of Jesus Christ that has been imputed to you. It had nothing to do with your goodness because you're not that good. And so here David is a man that is described as a man after God's own heart. And he does something right in the middle of it. And I am so thankful that the Bible tells the truth about its heroes because the scripture never airbrushes the flaws out of God's servants. Abraham had his failures. Moses had his failures. Peter had his failures. David has his failures. Why? Why does the Bible tell us about these heroes? Because let me tell you something, the hero of scripture is never David. It's never Moses. It's never Abraham. And it certainly is not Peter. The hero is always Jesus. And that's good news for struggling people. Because most of us know what it's like to fall short and to look back and wish that we had made different decisions. But God's purposes are not defeated by our weakness. And even here, God continues to work. Even in David's wrongful sewing, even in his failures, because God is working. He knows David's not perfect. The Bible says that God knows our frame and that we're nothing but grass. And the reason is is because God is faithful. So then we go to verse 17. And when the Philistines heard that they anointed David king over all Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David. And David heard of it and went down to the hold. And the Philistines also came and spread themselves out in the valley of Refiddm. No sooner is David crowned than the Philistines attack. One battle ends, another one begins. Sounds kind of familiar. And sometimes we imagine that once a problem is solved that life ought to be easy. But life never works out that way. One challenge always gives way to another challenge. One valley gives way to another hill. One battle is always followed by another battle. And I want you to know what David did. Verse 19. And David inquired of the Lord. Yeah. Yeah. Just couple of verses early, he did something insanely stupid, but his heart never left God. even when in the midst of his dependent. So here the Philistines come out and David exalted David, King David. David inquired of the Lord saying, "Shall I go up to the Philistines? Wil thou deliver me deliver them into mine hand?" And the Lord said to David, "Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines in thy hand." David came to Belpurism and David smokeote them there and said the Lord hath broken forth upon my enemies before me as the breach of the waters. So here comes the victory. David gives credit to the Lord and it says and they left their images and David and his men burned them there. So the Philistines left behind some of their religious artifacts and David's like yeah I don't think so. And then the Philistines, here we go verse 22. The Philistines came up yet again and spread themselves out in the valley of Refiddm. So after the victory, here comes another battle. And again, we read in verse 23, "And David inquired of the Lord." That's the second time. And that's important because David refused to rely on yesterday's guidance. This is a different battle. It's the same enemy, but it's a different battle. Let me go see if God is of the same mind that I should attack him again. and he seeks the Lord again and this time and it's so good that he saw God a second time. And let me encourage you if you've got problems, pray about it today, pray about it tomorrow, pray about it Wednesday, keep on praying about it. And he gets a different strategy this time. Verse 23. And when David inquired of the Lord, he said, "Thou and and he said, "Thou shalt not go up." up. The Lord says, "Thou shalt not go up, but fetch a compass behind thee, and come upon them over against the malberry trees, and let it be when thou hearest the sound of a going in the tops of the malberry trees, that then thou shalt bestow thyself, for then the Lord shall go out before thee to smite the folks of the Philistines." And David did so as the Lord commanded him, and the Philistines from Gibba until Gizer. So, this is what it says because it's one I don't know if y'all got it. King James kind of makes it hard to understand sometimes, but this is one of the more beautiful pictures in the chapter. God tells David to wait until he hears the sound of the wind in the mberry trees. Why? Because that sound indicated that God had gone before them and was going ahead of them. And man, if I'm in the battle and I know that God's going ahead of me, that's going to change my spirit. So, I want you to imagine the scene here. The army's waiting. The trees begin to move. Not merely because of breeze, but because God has gone ahead of his people. Man, that's comforting. David's victory didn't begin when David moved. It began when God moved. And the same remains true for us today. Our life as Christians, it is not about convincing God to bless our plans. Our lives as Christians is about learning to follow his leadership, to listen, to trust, to wait, to recognize when he's moving, and to walk behind him. David succeeded here because he understands something that a lot of people have a hard time learning.The battle belongs to the Lord. And so we reach the end of 2 Samuel 5 and and it's tempting to focus on the crown in this chapter, but really the crown is not the focus of the story. The story is about God's faithfulness. God was working in the sheepfills. He was working in the valleys. He was working in the caves. He's working in Jerusalem. He's working in the victories. He's working despite David's weakness. He's working before the battle ever begins. And he's working today. Perhaps you find yourself in a waiting season, waiting to lose your husband. Perhaps you feel forgotten. Perhaps you cannot understand why God has allowed a particular burden to press down on your life. I want you to take comfort from David's story. Because the potter has not abandoned the clay. The Lord has not forgotten his children. And the God who is shaping David in the darkness is preparing him for things that David cannot even see yet. And the same God is still working in the lives of his people. While David was waiting, God was working. And while you are waiting, God is working too. And because our hope rest not on David, but in David's greater son, Jesus, we can trust every chapter of our life rest safely in his hands. And we may not always understand what he's doing, but we can trust that he's doing something. And in this waiting, trust this. God is working.