1 Samuel 24:1-22
David's restraint in 1 Samuel 24 is remarkable. He has already been chosen (anointed) by God to be the next king and he's fully aware of that fact. Yet, he doesn't take any action to help move along the transition from Saul to him--even when a "perfect opportunity" seems to present itself (pretty amazing considering how Saul has been hunting David down to kill him). Instead, David is content to wait on God and His timing.
So how do we get in sync with God's timing and then have the patience and discipline to act in accordance with it? Tami W.
A pivotal verse to this passage of Scriptures is v. 15, We see David's heart, mindset, and overall faith and trust in the Lord. Vs 15 reads, "May the LORD therefore be judge and give sentence between me and you, and see to it and plead my cause and deliver me from your hand."
I believe that's how we get in sync with the Lord, by us leaving situations (whatever they might be) in the Lord's hand and leaving the outcome of things to Him.
By keeping our eyes on God. Patience has been the hardest lesson for me to learn, and I'm still learning it. I usually remember after I've spent some time looking around me and what isn't there, to remember that keeping my eyes on God is what keeps me connected to Him and His promises. I can trust Him and His perfect timing only by focusing on Him and not the distractions of this world.
This is never an easy question. But, central to the answer is being certain that you are following God, not pulling Him along with you. In this case David may have asked himself the question, "Would God have me kill Saul?" David may have had the confidence to answer that, "No." Or, David may have been unsure of the answer, in which case he couldn't take Saul's life.
We need to be asking ourselves, "Would God have me do this?" and be very reluctant to act when the answer is anything but a well considered and strong, "Yes."
David was a man after God's own heart. He was so in tune with God's ways at that time! I know I have to grow in that intimacy every day to even come close to understanding the paths the should be taken. I giggled a little bit, though, at the end of the passage: Saul seemed to come to a realization about David's intentions and his own fate, seemed remorseful. Yet David didn't let down his guard: "Then Saul went home, but David and his men went up to the stronghold." Good thinking, David!
The way we get in sync with God's timing and then have the patience and discipline to act in accordance with it, is through wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of God.
I am really bad at memorizing scripture verbatim because this is not the language I grew up in (thee's and thou's), but when I think about the conduct of David; two scriptures come to mind from the old and the new testament. This to me, seals what we must do to get in sync with God and act in accordance with it:
Old Testament: (paraphrased)
Get Wisdom, Get knowledge, but in all thy getting get understanding!
From the Book of Proverbs
New Testament: (paraphrased)
Study to show thyself approved a workman unto God, who needeth not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
From the Book of 2nd Timothy.
Of course, we can not forget our friend "Faith." Without him we would not be able to do the things that please God. Isn't that who we are trying to make proud anyways?
I agree that vs. 15 tells it all. David stood on the truth of God's promise. He walked so closely with the Lord that He knew what to do at the right moment. For every battle and ultimately kingship question, David sought God for a clear-cut answer. David was in sync with God because he knew that for him to kill Saul wasn't an act that would glorify God. Maybe that's how NOT to run ahead by God- by learning to wait for His Word/promise and when an opportunity arises for us to take it we should ask ourselves 'does this moment/decision/action glorify God?'
I personally believe that even before David was born, God knew that He would bring David up in the way He, The LORD wanted him to grow up in a faith that could move mountains. David was God's anointed and it seemed he was totally different from his brothers.
From David's lineage Jesus, the Son of man was born. Jesus was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and He was born of the Virgin Mary. David was born of man and woman so we too can have this faith as David did and learn to have the greatest respect and love for our LORD and also to respect persons placed on this earth by God. David disrespected Uriah and Bathsheba and committed a grave sin but when Nathan told him of his sin, he asked for forgiveness and Our LORD forgave him. He wrote many Psalms about His trangressions and God's mercy and compassion. We can learn so much from this story of David and realise how much our LORD loves us and no matter what we have done in life, He is there for us. We just have to knock, seek and ask. He is gracious, merciful, compassionate and forgiving. Just allow Him into our lives so that we can dwell in Him and He in us. To do this, we must believe with our whole heart, keep in His Word daily and pray without ceasing.
To wait on God's timing is really a trust issue. Do we trust His judgment enough to allow the perfect opportunity present itself to us and refrain from becoming anxious. This is a great lesson for God's people.
It takes much courage and patience to wait on God to bring His perfect timing, especially as we see what looks like opportunities like David's, present themselves. It is so easy for us to see God's hands at work, even if the action is a wrong one (like committing murder in David's case). Most people probably would have seen this as God's perfect timing.
This kind of restraint can only come to a life that is sold out to and totally dependent on the Holy Spirit, whose fruit is TEMPERANCE - SELF CONTROL!