Just as the LORD had promised! What a powerful phrase! This morning, it appears twice in the reading (NLT): 1 Chronicles 11:3, 9. There is immense power in that phrase! There is unwavering hope in that phrase! There is the presence of God in that phrase! What had God promised? God promised the following to David.
In times past, even when Saul was king, it was you who led out and brought in Israel. And the Lord your God said to you, ‘You shall be shepherd of my people Israel, and you shall be prince over my people Israel.’ ” (1 Chronicles 11:2, ESV)
What a journey it was for David—running from Saul, hiding in caves, and living in exile while waiting on the Lord! Waiting on the Lord? Yes, it was about fifteen years from when Samuel anointed David as Israel’s next king to when he was appointed king. There were times during those fifteen years when David lost hope, felt powerless, and wondered why God had left him. But then came the morning! Then came “Just as the LORD had promised.”
God is faithful to His Word! In fact, God magnifies His Word above His name.
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name. (Psalm 138:2, KJV)
God keeps His promises! Not one small detail of God’s Word will fail to come to pass (Matthew 5:18). Oh, how this means all the more to us after we have waited on God, and finally, this phrase comes true in our lives, “Just as the LORD had promised!” There are many reasons why the Lord had David wait fifteen years. We can’t begin to know them all nor understand them all. But, it is not hard to see the wisdom of it all as David was about fifteen when Samuel anointed him to be king. Is not the same true in our lives?
We live in a demanding age, do we not? If we have to labor over the microwave for seven minutes, that is too long! We want to see if someone reads our text. Why has it been three minutes, and there is no response? We expect free shipping, and it should have arrived yesterday! However, God is not influenced by our day’s demands or expectations. Have you been waiting for God to come through in your life for a long time? Have you lost hope, feel powerless, and wonder where God is? Perhaps you have seen this happen enough to know that God is working out something good, and “Just as the LORD promised” is yet in your future, but it is hard right now!
Believers, let us remember this: God is faithful to His Word! He is where He said He would be; He is right next to us, even though it might not feel like it. He loves us even though we might question it. God is working out our current situations for good; He said He would. Child of God, rejoice! “Just as the LORD had promised” will come to pass for you and me! Don’t forget that there is immense power in that phrase! There is unwavering hope in that phrase! There is the presence of God in that phrase!”
Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from 2 Samuel 5:1-10; 1 Chronicles 11-12.