Patience
Today’s Passage – 2 Samuel 4 – 7 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)
(Second Milers also read – Matthew 17 – 18; Proverbs 9; Psalms 41 – 45)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:1 – 4
Read the “0409 Evening and Morning” devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from today’s reading – “Check With God First.”
Ishbosheth is Killed
“5 And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went, and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon. 6 And they came thither into the midst of the house, as though they would have fetched wheat; and they smote him under the fifth rib: and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped. 7 For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber, and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and gat them away through the plain all night. 8 And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David to Hebron, and said to the king, Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, which sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul, and of his seed. 9 And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity, 10 When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings: 11 How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? shall I not therefore now require his blood of your hand, and take you away from the earth? 12 And David commanded his young men, and they slew them, and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth, and buried it in the sepulchre of Abner in Hebron.” (2 Samuel 4:5-12)
David is Anointed King
“1 Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron, and spake, saying, Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh. 2 Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel: and the LORD said to thee, Thou shalt feed my people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel. 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king to Hebron; and king David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD: and they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. 5 In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months: and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.” (2 Samuel 5:1-5)
David’s Pity on Saul
David was anointed by God through the prophet Samuel to be king over all of Israel about twenty years or so prior to his actually becoming the king. He had many opportunities to hasten the timing of his actually becoming the king, but David was patient. He knew that God would eventually do for him what he promised that He would do. He had two opportunities and the human justification to take out his predecessor Saul. After all, Saul was trying desperately to kill David so David would just have been defending himself. However, twice David stated that he would not put forth his hand against the Lord’s anointed (See 1 Samuel 24 and 26).
David’s Punishment of Ishbosheth’s Assassins
In our reading today, in chapter four, Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, was assassinated by some of his own men because they thought that was what David would have wanted. Remember, Ishbosheth was made the king by Abner after Saul’s death. David has the assassinators assassinated for what they did. David understood that God was working and moving, and that the people of Israel were moving in the direction of recognizing him as God’s choice to be king over Israel. Some people within the kingdom, however, were not willing to wait; they wanted to take matters into their own hands to make it happen.
David’s Patience in Waiting for Kingdom
It can be very frustrating for a leader to wait for God to work out His will. We often want to take the reins out of His hands and make things happen for ourselves. There is a fine line between moving forward in His will and getting ahead of God’s will, or worse, getting out of God’s will, in order to move forward. David’s men were willing to murder the King of Israel so that David could take his place on the throne that he would eventually occupy anyway. David was willing to wait; to do it God’s way.
“35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward. 36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:35-36)
David’s Perseverance While Waiting
Another thought regarding this subject is that it is also very possible for people to get so frustrated and discouraged while waiting for something to happen that they quit doing what God has called them to do; they leave the perfect will of God in search of something else. If you are in the place that God wants you to be and you are doing what God wants you to do, don’t quit. Be faithful to where the Lord has you and to what He has you doing. Remember, He is the One who determines success anyway. You may not ever achieve greatness in the eyes of men but if you are faithfully serving in the will of God, you will be rewarded by the Lord for meeting His expectations for your life.
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from 2 Samuel and tagged 2 Samuel 4, 2 Samuel 5, David, David Becomes King, Don't Quit, Faithfulness, Ishbosheth, Patience, The Will of God, Waiting by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Don’t Move Until God Tells You To: Lessons from Numbers Nine
Listen to today’s passage – Numbers 8 – 10
Follow along on Blue Letter Bible – Numbers 8
Second Milers also read – Acts 13 – 15; Proverbs 18; Psalms 91 – 95
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8
Read the “0218 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today by Charles Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from today’s reading – “Wait Until I Pray“
Have you ever felt stuck, waiting for direction on a big life change—like a move, job, relationship, or ministry step? In Numbers 9, God gave Israel a vivid picture of how to wait: Don’t move until He moves.
“At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed: they kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.” – (Numbers 9:23)
In Numbers 9, the Bible tells us that the children of Israel only moved when God moved. They followed the cloud by day, and the fire by night. If the cloud rested, they stayed in one spot; if the the cloud moved, they followed it. This kept life pretty simple for them. They did not have to make a decision about where they were going to go, they just followed God.
We can do the same thing today when deciding where we are going to go, or what we are going to do. We can simply follow God. Determining the will of God in our time is just as easy as it was in Bible times. God guides us through his Word, through prayer, and through counsel. Let’s say you are contemplating a move to a new geographic location. You need to check out what the Bible says about that place. Is there a good, Bible believing church for your family?
The Bible says a lot about people moving. Abraham moved into Egypt after being told that Canaan was the place of God’s blessing. He had some problems in his life as a result of that move. There are many other examples and principles in the Bible that will help you to make a decision. One thing is for sure, you do not want to move simply for financial reasons, or because you think the grass will be greener somewhere else. Lot moved because the grass near Sodom looked good, but he ended up losing everything, including most of his family.
Prayer and counsel are also important steps in determining a decision. All three need to be in agreement, however; and you know what the Bible says about a threefold chord (Ecclesiastes 4:12), right? It’s not easily broken. Pray about your decision, but be aware that God will never reveal in prayer something that goes against the principles found in the Word of God.
Then you need to get counsel. Have some people in your life that you can go to for advice. People who will be honest with you. People that won’t tell you just want you want to hear. Don’t “shop” for counsel, either. People often will go from person to person until they find someone who will agree with them. That’s not counsel. Ask your pastor, ask your parents, or ask some godly person in your life who will tell you the truth.
When are you going to move, and where? Who are you going to marry, and when? Where will you go to college? Which church will you attend? Where will you work? These are all important decisions. You don’t have to decide these for yourself. Follow God. He will direct your path and He will light the way. I promise if you follow God all the way, you will be pleased with what He does with your life.
Steps for Discerning the Will of God
- Start with Scripture: Does the choice align with God’s revealed will? Prioritize a Bible-believing church community (Hebrews 10:24–25), godly relationships (e.g., marrying a believer who pursues Christ—2 Corinthians 6:14), and honoring God in work (Colossians 3:23). Avoid paths that contradict clear biblical principles.
- Pray persistently: Seek God’s peace and direction (Philippians 4:6–7; James 1:5). God won’t contradict His Word in prayer.
- Seek counsel: Turn to trustworthy voices—pastor, parents, mature believers—who speak truth in love, not just what you want to hear (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22). Avoid “counsel shopping.”
- Watch for providence: God often guides through open/closed doors, circumstances, and inner conviction as we walk faithfully in what we already know.
Ultimately, as Proverbs 3:5–6 promises:
“5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. 6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Prov 3:5–6)
Following God wholeheartedly leads to a life of purpose and blessing, even through challenges. When we surrender the decisions to Him, we can trust He’ll direct our paths and bring joy in the outcome.
May the Lord give you clear guidance in whatever steps lie ahead. He is faithful to lead those who seek Him!
What decision are you facing today? Pause, pray, and ask the Lord to guide. Share in the comments if you’d like prayer—I’d love to join you in seeking Him!
Posted in Devotions, Thoughts from Numbers and tagged Decision Making, Devotional, Discerning God’s Will, Discernment, Faith, God's Wiil, How to Know God's Will, Numbers, Numbers 9, Patience, Thoughts from Numbers, Trusting in the Lord, Waiting on God by Phil Erickson with 5 comments.