LIVING WATERS
For the proclamation of the Gospel and the edification of the Body of Christ
Two Ways of Waiting
There are two ways in which Christians can wait for the fulfillment of God's plans for them: with patience until the time of God is fulfilled; or with anxious energy, always seeking an occasion in which "to help" God. These two attitudes are very well represented by two characters from the Old Testament: David and Jacob.
David had been annointed as king of Israel at a young age, but did not take to the throne by force. David had everything in his favor, which might have led him to try to hasten the time of the fulfillment of this plan: The anointing was resting on him, the people were praising him as their savior, the priests honored him and the very same son of the rejected king helped him. What was he waiting for?
Sometimes the circumstances even appeared to be prepared by God so that he might take the kingdom in his hand. Nevertheless, David did not allow himself to be seduced by the seemingly favorable circumstances, since he knew God, and knew what the principiles by whichHe acts were. He knew that God does not use carnal means to obtain spiritual ends. He knew that there is no valid rebellion in God's kingdom. He knew that God is powerful to carry out what He has proposed. That's why David waited patiently on God.
Jacob, for his part, also knew about God's election. Rebecca, his mother, knew this even better, even from before his birth. Nevertheless, that was not enough for them, because both planned to cheat Isaac, the father and husband, to craftily obtain what God had already decided to give him by grace.
The consequences of both attitudes are very clear and exemplary.
Jacob had to remain far from his house for 20 years, living like an exile, serving with great effort under the hard hand of Leban, a crafty relative, with a threatened conscience through fear of a deceived and revengeful brother. His tasks as a shepherd turned out to be a terrible burden to him, as Jacob himself would later say to Leban: "These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy she-goats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flocks have I not eaten. That which was torn of beasts I brought not unto thee; I bare the loss of it; of my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night; and my sleep fled from mine eyes. These twenty years have I been in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flock: and thou hast changed my wages ten times". What a burden! What sorrow! This is what happens when fleshly resources are used. The mocker is mocked until he loses heart.
David, on the other hand, rejected any intervention from man and only waited on God. His way was not exempt from brokenness; but these were used to soften the steel and to purify the gold. How much of David's beautiful character was forged in those days. How much of Christ's character David was able to personify, so as to then, through his Psalms, express Him through them. Whilst Jacob was paying the price of his scheming, David was prophetically constructing the character of the Messiah.
The carnal man is impatient, and always tries to help God. His time "is always ready" (Jn.7:6). The spiritual man, on the other hand is patient and, be it that the circumstances smile on him or roar at him, he waits on God, because in His time, God will remember him.