During the year of our engagement, Keith and I read through the bible using the YouVersion app, ending on our wedding day. It was a wonderful thing for us to share and it truly led us to many deep discussions on our faith and what we felt God was teaching us through His word. In our first year of marriage, we read through the New Testament during the season of Lent. For our second year of marriage, we decided to read through the bible again, however, this time we decided to read through it chronologically. Wow. I am a lifer...meaning, I've grown up in the church. I attended a Christian University and took amazing Bible classes from wonderful professors, authors, scholars, and friends. How have I made it through 35 years of my life without studying the Bible chronologically? The fault is truly mine. At the same time, I am not sure if I would have truly appreciated it then as I do now.
In the past weeks, we have been reading about Saul and David. Saul...a godly man who allowed his insecurities to quite literally consume him. And no matter how David pleaded with him, pledged his allegiance to him, showed him that he truly meant him no harm...Saul's heart was always hardened. And why? Because he proved himself to be unworthy of being God's anointed. And David. We are seeing him in what you may call the more "peaceful" part of his life (knowing what lies ahead). He has killed Goliath. He is God's anointed. He has been a warrior for God through his endeavors for Saul. In fact, that is what has gotten him into trouble with Saul. But how would you feel if you were the king and people were singing that while you had killed thousands...your protege has killed tens of thousands?
We've all been there, right? You're in school or at work and you're in a meeting. And there's always going to be that guy. You know, the one who is an overachiever? Or maybe it's that mom whose daughter is always dressed so cute...and keeps her hair bow in all day. While you had to pin your daughter to the floor just to get her out of her pajamas, all the while throwing what you are sure is the BIGGEST fit known to man, and eventually giving in and letting her wear rain boots and a backwards cap because it wasn't worth the fight. Perhaps you've come down with Facebookcomparativitis. You know, the disease that has you constantly scrolling through your social media...comparing your life to the lives you see your friends posting? That one is a hard one because it just keeps coming.
Can I tell you a couple of secrets? First, we all do it. We compare ourselves, our spouse, our children, our family, and the list goes on. And all it ever does is leave us empty and wanting. Second, no one's life is as perfect as it appears on Facebook. Some people have children who love hair bows and ruffles. Some people have children who refuse to be anything but themselves. But I can tell you that for every perfect picture you see posted, there is another one where babies are crying, and parents are stressed! Don't get caught up in the disease of comparison living! You know what it did to Saul, right?
No? Well, he didn't fare well. He was wounded by the Philistines and eventually fell on his own sword after seeing two of his sons die. As for David? 2 Samuel 1:11-12 "Then David and all of the men with him took hold of their clothes and tore them. They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the Lord and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword." (NIV) Truly. This man who had relentlessly pursued David and tried to kill him on several occasions...and this was David's reaction to hearing of his death. He was shattered. The love David had for Saul and Jonathan is to be admired. How many of us would be capable of that amount of compassion and forgiveness?
The chronological bible that Keith and I are reading goes straight from that to detailing the continuing fight between Saul's house (primarily his son Ish-Bosheth) and David's with David growing stronger and the house of Saul growing weaker. This power struggle between God's anointed and the house of Saul wore on David as we see in Psalm 6 (which follows 2 Samuel 4). David says in v3 "My soul is in deep anguish, How long, Lord, how long?" (emphasis mine). The Psalms that follow: 8, 9, 10, 14, 16, 19, 21, show a watershed of emotions from David. From weariness of battle, to praise for strength, to love, to weary again. David felt trapped in the waiting room.
Friends, I have been there...haven't you? We are all God's chosen...anointed in baptism to live our lives for him. And just as David waited 15 years after being anointed to take his proper place...some of us have been waiting. How long will we wait? There is no easy answer. But it is what we do during the waiting that is so important. So, brothers and sisters, while I'm in the waiting room I'm going to pray and serve and pray some more...and sometimes I may even cry or scream...and then I will pray again and serve again and love again. I find that when I focus less on myself, I tend to find the joy in God's word, and even in the waiting. What will you do while you're waiting?
No comments:
Post a Comment