“Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your
brothers and hurry to their camp.…See how your brothers are and bring back some
assurance from them.” (1 Samuel 17:17-18)
expected to do the grunt work, and this wasn’t the first time. He was available
for this errand because he was left behind to tend the sheep while all of
Israel’s fighting men were out to battle. I’m sure the natural frustration that
comes when being excluded began to creep into his heart.
at a friends cabin for a weekend.
During those couple of days, I experienced a
surreal quiet that I hadn’t known growing up in a city. In my adolescence, to
find quiet, I would climb up the fire escape to the roof, gaze upon the stars,
and let all of my frustrations out to the Lord!
vented to other people, it would often become gossip, but as I vented all of my
frustration to Him, it became intercession!
(God’s favorite time to speak to us) I woke up with a mental picture that I
couldn’t shake. The picture was of a boy pushing a cart of supplies and
screaming up at the sky. While asking the Lord about this picture, the words
“David and Goliath” rushed into my mind, so I decided to re-read the story. As
I read verses 17-18 in First Samuel 17, the picture that I saw began to make
sense. It was as if an instant download of insight hit my spirit! David was
frustrated too!
national crisis! This was war, and back then, if you lost war, you lost
everything. Your children would be enslaved, women raped then killed or
enslaved, and every fighting man would be slaughtered! You would think men of
every stature would be called for this event, but not David. His job was to
watch the sheep. Then, when it became necessary, he was supposed to take a
picnic out to his brothers and bring back news of the battle.
his way to the Valley of Elah, frustrated and venting to the Lord about being
omitted from the battle roster, and asking God when it would be his turn?
Besides, he was the anointed king of Israel! His role should be one of glory,
and influence! Instead, he found himself in the role of a scrub, a bench
warmer.
the corner, on the other side of the hill, he would face and defeat Goliath. In
a short time, he would become the champion he was born to be!
demonstrate his bravery and it would all come together for him. But David
didn’t know that then, and neither do we when we are in the midst of our
frustration.
reveal us and our gifting’s before men.
David: overlooked and frustrated.
I believe it was for David. You can read it throughout the Psalms: David
complained to the Lord all the time! I believe, just like the Psalms he wrote,
on the way to the Valley of Elah, David directed his frustration upward, which
became intercession. It would then become a determination so fervent that he
would be willing to take a risk. By fighting Goliath, he risked the lives and
freedom of all of Israel. Should he have fallen, the unthinkable would have
become a living reality to all Israel.
sanctified way, which was one of his greatest strengths. We should be grateful
for frustration and see it as an opportunity to complain to the Lord and
ultimately to see His perspective of our situation. I could hear the Lord
telling David:
have your chance. You’re right; I did create you for greatness. You are
powerful and brave. Be satisfied that you know and I know of your bravery and
greatness. There will come a time for others will know. Just wait and be
patient.”
you’ve been overlooked, be grateful for the frustration you are feeling. It is
proof that God has created you for bigger things, because you have a hunger for
them.
to turn into determination.
Now
Jesse said to his son David, “Take this ephah of roasted grain and
these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.…See
how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them.” (1
Samuel 17:17-18)
Here is David, overlooked and expected to do the grunt work, and this
wasn’t the first time. He was available for this errand because he was
left behind to tend the sheep while all of Israel’s fighting men were
out to battle. I’m sure the natural frustration that comes when being
excluded began to creep into his heart.
Six years ago, I was invited to stay at a friends cabin for a
weekend. During those couple of days, I experienced a surreal quiet that
I hadn’t known growing up in a city. In my adolescence, to find quiet, I
would climb up the fire escape to the roof, gaze upon the stars, and
let all of my frustrations out to the Lord!
The Lord quickly taught me that if I vented to other people, it
would often become gossip, but as I vented all of my frustration to
Him, it became intercession!
During the first night, around 3am (God’s favorite time to speak to
us) I woke up with a mental picture that I couldn’t shake. The picture
was of a boy pushing a cart of supplies and screaming up at the sky.
While asking the Lord about this picture, the words “David and Goliath”
rushed into my mind, so I decided to re-read the story. As I read verses
17-18 in First Samuel 17, the picture that I saw began to make sense.
It was as if an instant download of insight hit my spirit! David was
frustrated too!
The nation of Israel was facing a national crisis! This was war, and
back then, if you lost war, you lost everything. Your children would be
enslaved, women raped then killed or enslaved, and every fighting man
would be slaughtered! You would think men of every stature would be
called for this event, but not David. His job was to watch the sheep.
Then, when it became necessary, he was supposed to take a picnic out to
his brothers and bring back news of the battle.
The picture I had was of David on his way to the Valley of Elah,
frustrated and venting to the Lord about being omitted from the battle
roster, and asking God when it would be his turn? Besides, he was the
anointed king of Israel! His role should be one of glory, and influence!
Instead, he found himself in the role of a scrub, a bench warmer.
Little did he know, that just around the corner, on the other
side of the hill, he would face and defeat Goliath. In a short time, he
would become the champion he was born to be!
Soon, he would have a chance to demonstrate his bravery and it would
all come together for him. But David didn’t know that then, and neither
do we when we are in the midst of our frustration. Only God knows the time and the hour in which He will choose to reveal us and our gifting’s before men. Until that time, we are just like David: overlooked and frustrated.
Frustration can be a good thing and I believe it was for David. You
can read it throughout the Psalms: David complained to the Lord all the
time! I believe, just like the Psalms he wrote, on the way to the Valley
of Elah, David directed his frustration upward, which became
intercession. It would then become a determination so fervent that he
would be willing to take a risk. By fighting Goliath, he risked the
lives and freedom of all of Israel. Should he have fallen, the
unthinkable would have become a living reality to all Israel.
David embraced his frustration in a sanctified way, which was one of
his greatest strengths. We should be grateful for frustration and see it
as an opportunity to complain to the Lord and ultimately to see His
perspective of our situation. I could hear the Lord telling David:
“There, there little guy, you will have your chance. You’re right; I did
create you for greatness. You are powerful and brave. Be satisfied that
you know and I know of your bravery and greatness. There will come a
time for others will know. Just wait and be patient.”
The next time, you are upset because you’ve been overlooked, be
grateful for the frustration you are feeling. It is proof that God has
created you for bigger things, because you have a hunger for them. Vent
your frustration to Him in intercession, and allow that frustration to
turn into determination.
– See more at: http://www.gospeltoday.com/blog/2014/11/06/embracing-frustration/#sthash.HAa4Ppko.dpuf
