But the one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. (John 10:2)

Read: Psalm 128-130, 132, 134, 135

Relate: I can’t tell you how many times I’ve grown frustrated with my microwave because two minutes is way too long to wait for that hot pocket to finish cooking. I should be able to just say something like, “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot” and whoomp, there it is. I wonder what kind of quality such speed would produce. Think about it. Microwaved food is never as good as something we have taken the time to cook on a stove or oven. Prepackaged mixes are never as good or as satisfying as something that has been made from scratch. Something we order “your way, right away” will never have the quality of something we have to sit down and wait for a chef to prepare. Conveyor belt pizza cannot begin to match something coming out of a brick oven.

David had to wait. Between his anointing and the enthroning, King David had to wait over twenty years. Along the way there were temptations. There were opportunities to “jump the gun”. The crowd was on his side. It was clear that the current regent was growing more and more incompetent. At least twice, it seemed the opportunity to take matters into his own hands had fallen right into his lap. Still David waited. He knew that God had anointed him to be king, the shepherd, of the people of Israel and he was willing for God to arrange things in His own timing. He wasn’t going to start climbing walls to get to the sheep.

React: Patience is something that a lot of us lack today. We live in a society and a culture that expects things to come instantaneously. This truth can become dangerous when the thing we are not waiting for is the ministry for which God has anointed us. Just because God has called us to do something doesn’t mean we have to be doing it right now. Sometimes there is more for us to learn. Sometimes there is a maturing process that needs to happen. It might even be that you are ready but those to whom you are called are not ready for you. Don’t climb over walls, wait for the gate to open. Jesus was on earth thirty years before he started preaching. Like I said above, David waited for more than twenty. Moses spent forty years in the backside of the desert. If God has anointed us, be patient. When the time is right the gate will open. Until then, resist that temptation to start climbing walls. Microwaved ministry will always be subpar.

Respond: 

God, give me patience. Help me to wait for You. You are slow cooking something big and something beautiful in my life, help me to wait. When that gate opens, help me to have the courage to walk through. Until that time, God, continue to work whatever You need in my life. I want what I do for You to be legitimate. I want to serve You where and when You deem best.