knowing God's business

Not every trial is sent to teach us patience. If a man thinks he’s to learn patience he will expect God to withhold information from him. He will have no advance information about how to gain his victory, neither how to prepare his steps.

There is a lesson for us to learn about waiting, and we find a good example in David’s life. Though anointed as king David had to wait for this to become a reality. While waiting he was a shepherd. The training for victory came in the form of a bear and a lion who challenged him in his duties. David was faithful to deliver his sheep from harm and asserted himself in the authority of his position as shepherd.

Winning the victories over the bear and the lion prepared David for a very important battle in his life; Goliath, the champion of the Philistines. David had confidence to bring his 2 prior victories to the decision-table when speaking with King Saul, asking for permission to answer Goliath’s challenge. David saw the challenge as an affront to God’s authority invested in the Israeli army, and saw Goliath as being “out of place” to war against them. But more importantly, David saw himself as being set “in place” to take the victory. His past included time spent defending lesser things (sheep) but being faithful in his position (shepherd). With his testimony of victory David was able to step up to the giant and win.

Many of us become content to serve God in our usual manner while we wait for Him to change our circumstances. But there comes a time in our service to God when our faithfulness, like David’s, has been established. It’s when Jesus says to us “because a servant does not know his father’s business . . . instead, I have called you friends.” (Jn 15:15). We walk from a blind servitude towards an inclusion in God’s business. This brings up the question we might ask ourselves while in a trial of waiting; “What if patience isn’t all we’re to learn from our present trials, and instead, God wants to show us His business?”

It takes more faith to receive God’s business than to go on doing things in our usual manner. God’s business for David was that he should slay Goliath. David not only had prior victories, but it was said of David that he was “a man after God’s own heart; he will do everything I want him to do,” (Acts 13:22). This poses more questions, such as “If David brought 2 victories to the decision-table, and would do anything God wanted him to do, what are we bringing, and will we do anything God wants us to do?” This should cause us to look at our past victories. Past victories don’t seem so important when we don’t expect anything of ourselves, other than waiting.

Let us take a look at another scripture about victory, and how to get it. After all, it may not be waiting patiently that is the most important thing in our trials, but gaining a victory appointed to us, so that we can move on. In Revelation 12 we find that an evil dragon is chasing God’s people (12:17) who obey God and have the Testimony of Jesus. How did they get victory over this huge beast? By the blood of the Lamb, the word of their Testimony, and by not loving their lives so much that they “chickened out” (Rev 12:11). Just like David’s testimony about his past victories, the word of their past victories in Christ helped them gain this victory because it became their Testimonies. Jesus’ shed blood gave them into His family, giving them authority over His enemies, and they themselves brought uncompromising courage to the situation.

Perhaps we should look at our trials of waiting as steps of preparation instead. I believe God wants to work victories in us to strengthen us for greater things. But He also wants to add to our equipping. David gained his initial equipping caring for sheep and practicing his sling shot skills. This took time while he waited to become King.

Once we set aside our walk of pure duty and servanthood, we should enter a walk of friendship with God wherein He shows us His business. In 1 Chron 12:32 we see an example of this. We learn that the sons of Issachar “understood the times and knew what Israel should do – 200 chiefs with all their relatives under their command.” If God would give them this special gift of knowing His plans and timing, couldn’t we ask for this also? How would it change our responsibilities in our waiting time if we understood how to use that time personally, and corporately?

Another example of the Lord sharing privileged, or unseen knowledge with Man is found in 2 Kings 6:12. King Aram was at war with Israel, but found that someone was telling his plans to the King of Israel. Elisha, the prophet of Israel, gave his king the “very words” Aram spoke in secret, and so the Israeli army did not suffer defeat. If a prophet of Israel can know the plans of the enemy, couldn’t we, who have the gifts of God’s Spirit, ask Him to show us what our enemy’s intentions are?

I believe it is time to take a second look at who we are in Christ, and where He is leading His people. If we are called to be kings, wouldn’t we need to have testimonies of victories? If we are led into battles, wouldn’t God equip us with gifts to discern the times and to know what our enemy is up to? It brings God no glory at all for His people to be defeated over and over again. Perhaps we are supposed to move on in our concept of authority, passed the point where we wait for God to do things for us and into the place where we are a friend of God, knowing and doing His business. This is a Kingdom walk, and one we are all called to. As the body of Christ, let us encourage each other to use their gifts for the strengthening and building up of the body, and to seek those gifts that might be added to us for victory and growth.