DO YOU THINK IT’S FUNNY THAT I RECENTLY FIGURED OUT WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO HAVE HUMILITY?  READ MORE FROM THE JUNE ISSUE OF EXEMPLIFY!

I recently started a Bible study entitled “Anointed, Transformed, and Redeemed” by Pricilla Shirer, Beth Moore, and Kay Arthur in which I am learning about the steadfast and faithful life of King David.  I was flabbergasted to learn that 22 years passed from the time Samuel anointed David as the future king of Israel to the time in which he actually became King.  God seemed to say to this young boy, “Not yet, my chosen one, not yet. There are lessons to be learned before you can be a great king.  But soon.  Soon you will be ready.  Trust me as I prepare you.”

In the meantime, David began to faithfully serve.  He was an armor-bearer and harpist to King Saul, his predecessor, and a messenger to his brothers who were fighting the Philistines.  The latter service allowed him to arrive at the fateful meeting of Goliath, that big Philistine bully, who threatened to take down all of Israel.  By slinging a simple rock to the head of Goliath, David successfully defeated the Israelites’ biggest enemy.  He was a hero and it was clear that David had been anointed for a reason.

Yet he continued to serve others by performing menial tasks that seemed so unimportant while he knew that one day he would be king of the very land and population he served.  How could he be so faithful?  How could he not desire the fruits of his anointment right then?  How could he wait with such patience and continue to serve the King whose job he knew he would one day replace?  His faithfulness baffled me as I read repeatedly how he accepted God’s will and teachings without complaint.

God knew that for David to reach the full capacity of his abilities, he was going to have to first serve the people he would eventually rule.   He needed to serve King Saul because it was necessary for him to learn to submit to authority.  In addition, he patiently waited for the time in which his reign would begin knowing that this decision was in the hands of God.  His faithfulness and patience were also necessary attributes God knew he would need to possess.

In other words, in the 22 years David spent preparing for greatness, he was being equipped by God to lead a nation and be remembered for an eternity.  In God’s eyes, there is no such thing as a menial task.  In fact, as Paul writes in 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12,  “…pray that our God will make you fit for what he’s called you to be, pray that he’ll fill your good ideas and acts of faith with his own energy so that it all amounts to something” (The Message).  God was simply making David “fit for what He had called him to be.”  The process, rather than the product, was of utmost importance.

Sometimes I hear the call of God loud and clear and other times it could be years before I respond to something he is nudging me to do.  However, I recently felt a “loud-and-clear” call to begin writing and speaking.  I have a passion for women’s ministry and after one speaking engagement, I found that I enjoyed sharing what God has done in my life with others in an attempt to encourage and provide hope.  I have always loved writing and had planned to explore this dream more intentionally this year; however, I soon realized that writing and speaking often go “hand-in-hand” so I decided to add “speaking” to my dream of “writing”….

READ THE REST IN THE JUNE ISSUE OF EXEMPLIFY MAGAZINE!!!!   Follow these directions:

(Just so you know, I’m adding this little “how-to”  for my mother who, if I do not, will inevitably call me later today and say “Natalie, I just can’t pull this up.  I don’t know what I’m doing wrong but I can’t figure it out.  (Frustrated sigh.)”

Love you, mother.  Here’s what you do:

1.  Click here.

2.  The June issue will come up.

3.  Click on the issue (literally ON the front cover, Mom)

4.  You will see the front cover and little thumbnails of each page on the bottom.  Roll your mouse over the last thumbnail and you will get an arrow pointing forward.

5.  Click it.

6.  New thumbnails – click it again until you see page 52.

7.  Click on page 52.

8.  Read and enjoy.

It’s not difficult.  I promise, Mom.  You can do it.

P.S.  My mother is an incredibly intelligent, witty, and compassionate person.  She is in no way challenged in the IQ department but sometimes we have trouble with technology.  Just sometimes.