{"id":25110,"date":"2015-02-18T17:45:43","date_gmt":"2015-02-18T17:45:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/?p=25110"},"modified":"2017-12-31T09:47:09","modified_gmt":"2017-12-31T09:47:09","slug":"dont-assume-gods-guidance-will-open-an-easy-path","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/2015\/02\/dont-assume-gods-guidance-will-open-an-easy-path\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a0Don’t assume God’s guidance will open an easy path"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Stained<\/a>
Stained Glass Window<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Sometimes we can be so familiar with a story that we miss crucial details. As we get to 2 Samuel 2 most of us know what is coming: King Saul is dead, the age of King David has begun. And yet the transition is far from being that straightforward.<\/span>

David inquires\u00a0of God what he should do. In response to God\u2019s reply he moves to Hebron. Judea immediately embraces him as king. David reaches out with magnimity to those who buried Saul. You might think that the reign of King David over the whole nation of Israel would begin immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet Saul\u2019s house is not quite over. A son of the fallen Saul\u00a0is installed as king over the rest of Israel. And so begins a split that, although reunited during the days of David and Solomon, would lead to a painful division in God\u2019s people right up until the time of Jesus and beyond. The heirs of those who followed Saul would eventually be scattered, with some known as the Samaritans before vanishing into history, while\u00a0rumors of \u201cLost Tribes\u201d of Israel crop\u00a0up as far afield as Africa.<\/span><\/p>\n

God had called David to be king years ago. He had apparently confirmed that call by telling him to go back to Judea. Often we assume that if God has called us to a task the way will easily open up. This is not always the case. We will frequently\u00a0find ourselves being tested, and delays are par for the course. God\u2019s delays are often part of his preparation of our hearts for what is coming. The story of David shows us that God doesn\u2019t choose to use perfect people. Like David we may need to learn patience as step-by-step we see God\u2019s promises fulfilled in our lives.<\/p>\n

King David received only part of his promise at first. There is no record of him being frustrated by this. One could criticize him for taking something of a back seat while a cruel civil war between brothers begins. \u00a0David perhaps didn\u2019t want to join the battle to push himself forward as the king, and perhaps he didn\u2019t want to fight his fellow Israelites. But neither\u00a0did he at the beginning try to restrain it. David seems to abdicate his leadership, and this will come back to bite him in the very next chapter.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0 Sometimes we can be so familiar with a story that we miss crucial details. As we get to 2 Samuel 2 most of us know what is coming: King Saul is dead, the age of King David has begun. And yet the transition is far from being that straightforward.David inquires\u00a0of God what he should […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1268,"featured_media":24924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[359],"tags":[555,543,556],"class_list":["post-25110","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-leadership-lessons-from-1-2-samuel","tag-king-david","tag-leadership","tag-ot-history"],"yoast_head":"\n\u00a0Don't assume God's guidance will open an easy path<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"  Sometimes we can be so familiar with a story that we miss crucial details. 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My qualifications and training reflect this integrated background: \u2192 British MB BS medical degree (equivalent to an MD in the USA) \u2192 Postgraduate qualifications in Psychiatry (MRCPsych) and Pharmaceutical Medicine (MFFM, DipPharmMed) \u2192 Theological training courses run by Newfrontiers\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/adrianwarnockpage\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/adrianwarnock\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/adrianwarnock\/author\/awarnock\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"\u00a0Don't assume God's guidance will open an easy path","description":"  Sometimes we can be so familiar with a story that we miss crucial details. 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