David is one of our best examples when it comes to living as a disciple of Jesus Christ. His story, written in 1 & 2 Samuel and his Psalms, shows us a man whose heart truly was after God. There are so many lessons we can learn from him, and today’s passage is an excellent example. We see four ways that David learned how to follow the Lord. He asked the Lord to teach and lead him, submitting under God’s leadership, and for patience. These are attributes that we can apply to our lives today.
David never stopped learning. He asked the Lord to show him His ways and to be taught His paths. He knew his own tendency to wander away and wanted not only to learn the ways of the Lord but also to live them. Some people want to learn things solely for the pursuit of knowledge, but David wanted to be taught and shown the ways of the Lord. A disciple is one who walks in the ways and teaching of a master, and David shows us an Old Testament example of this.
Partnering with being taught the ways of the Lord, David wanted to be led in the truth. This is a bold ask because the truth isn’t always pleasant. The truth cuts through the junk and gets to the heart of the matter. To ask to be taught the truth and then led in it opened David to a whole new world. God took him seriously when he sent Nathan to confront him on adultery and murder. How did David react? He tore his clothes and repented. Psalm 51 is the result of that confrontation.
Finally, David declares that he is willing to wait all day on the Lord, and he proved it. It was thirteen years between his being anointed king by Samuel and his actually taking the throne. That’s waiting on the Lord. Oh yeah, in the middle of that, he was chased around the country by Saul like a fugitive. Beware of what you ask for because God might do it in HIs way and timing. Waiting on the Lord is a learned discipline. It teaches you patience but also how to trust God’s timing.
