The preparation years

But David said to Saul,’ … your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The Lord who rescued me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will rescue me from the hand of this Philistine.’ I Samuel 17: 36 - 37

The preparation time can so often be trying, tedious, difficult yet it is so essential, whether it be preparing food, training for a sports event, revising for an exam or being faithful to our calling when nothing appears to be happening.

It is worth it when the beautiful meal or cake comes out of the oven, the race or match won, the exam is passed or when a suddenly breakthrough comes to our life. In many ways the benefits of the preparation time can be obvious but in our spiritual walk, the preparation years can seem not just fruitless but also pointless.

David must have experienced this when he was suddenly called from the fields to be anointed king by Samuel and then – he goes back to the sheep. What a disappointment!  Joseph had these amazing dreams of future leadership and he ends up in a pit and worse still in prison. 

Where was being king out with the sheep? Where was great leadership serving in Potiphar’s house then being falsely accused and thrown into prison? Both of these times though were vital for what was to come.

It was whilst David was out with the sheep that he developed and deepened his love and trust in the Lord. I think we may not have had some of those wonderful psalms if David had not spent years with the sheep. Leading sheep and leading people have some great similarities and learning to kill the lion and the bear to protect the sheep meant David could face and kill Goliath with Godly confidence when the time came.

Joseph learned all about servant leadership in Potiphar’s house and then in prison. He learned to deal with being maligned, being forgotten yet being faithful and when the call came, he was ready. He went from prison to throne room to being second to Pharaoh in all Egypt in one day. Without the preparation years, he just would not have been able to do it.

Even after he won great fame killing Goliath, David still had years of being faithful to God and trusting him to make him king at the proper time. He resisted the temptation to take the throne and because of his years with the sheep, he was not a king like Saul – one like all the other nations had – he was a king after God’s own heart.

It can be so hard to spend days or even years beavering away being faithful, wondering if we are making any difference, wondering if God has forgotten us. Sometimes we may not even realise these are the preparation years. One day though the call will come and all those things that we had placed little importance on will suddenly make sense. All the things we have learned and experienced, both the good and the bad, will become the platform for the future.

Let’s make the most of the preparation time trusting that God is investing in us all that will be necessary for the next step so when the door opens, we will find we have everything we need to fulfil God’s calling on our lives.