What do we do After the "After?"

O. T. #668  "What do we do After the 'After?'"
January 3, 2016
2 Samuel 2
After this, David...   2 Samuel 2:1

LET IT GLOW

HAPPY NEW YEAR, YA'LL!!!!!!

Did we finish well last year? Did we end on the right note? Did we achieve our goals and resolutions? Did we keep the faith? What kind of witness were we? How did God's grace, joy, and love touch our life?
Were we gracious, joyful, and loving toward others?
Wait a minute. This isn't the end of the road. some of us still have a few more miles to go. We aren't finished here until we take our last breath. Our race isn't over yet. We continue to need the Master's touch. Where is our focus? Are our eyes upon Jesus? God has placed each of us in a specific place and time for His purpose, as was the case with David.

Hebrews 12:2 says, Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

With all that said and done, let's look at David's life. He is 30 years old now and is getting ready to become Judah's new king. It had been a while since God through Samuel anointed him as king back in his teen years. Twelve years or so David was a fugitive on the run from Saul who sought to kill him. How many hours did he spend discouraged and disillusioned in the wilderness? We have evidence with the Psalms David wrote.

David prepares to reign over God's chosen nation for the next 40 years. He seemed to have grown up now, ready to take on the responsibilities appointed to him. He continued to love God and grow strong in faith. David learned from the past and looked to the future.

Look at verse 1. A new chapter in David's life is about to be written. It begins with the words he spoke to God, After this, David asked the LORD...

After all the bad stuff, after surviving a tragedy, after a challenging year, after the death of a loved one, after your spouse left, after making a life-changing decision, after getting laid off from your job, after_______. (You fill it in to fit your situation.)

What do you do after the "after?" How do you pick up the pieces and carry on or run away? How do you get back on the horse and ride into the sunset, as a cowboys did in the westerns?


LET IT GROW

David's "after" was referring to their time of mourning Saul and Jonathan's deaths. David  asked his LORD what he should do. Wise step, David. God knows the best direction for us to take. He has the best path mapped out if we would only seek it.

What did David ask? If he should go up to one of the cities of Judah. (Was it time now?)
God told David to go up. (That was a yes.)
David asked where he should go to. (He wanted to be in the appointed place. Enough of running around.)
God told him to go to Hebron. (When David asked a specific question, God gave a specific answer.)

There, David reigns for 7 1/2 years in Judah at Hebron. Does he complain or get anxious? No, David waited patiently upon the Lord. He didn't rush into Jerusalem and take over.

So David and his enterouge of two wives, family, and 7,000 men army with their families and animals journeyed to Hebron and settled in there. Such humility we can admire in David.

Ahhh-verse 4, finally it happened. We waited a long time for his "then": Then the men of Judah came to David and anointed him king over the people of Judah. (NLT)

After the "after" then a "THEN." So the waiting is worth a "then" to happen. Keep the faith, dear struggling one. Your "then" will come in Gods timing.

It took our church 3 years to build a new sanctuary, debt free. Before that, we spent a few years with making plans for the wrong type of building. We spent, wasted, thousands of dollars on architects for it. We struggled with getting local governmental approvals. Finally, when we backed off and sought the Lord's direction, it all fell into place, even the money and workers. To God be the glory!

We made it through all the struggles, controversies, and  discouragements, as David. Where we are now is-we are after the "after," and now then we are waiting for the "then." After building the building, we have been praying, and feel we are suppose to build the church (people). People are getting a vision for visitation. It is exciting times. So many in our small community are lost and need our Savior; they need a loving family; they need a purpose for living; they need help with children, etc.
Your neighborhood in your world needs the same things, too. After your "after," pray, then your "then" will happen. This could be the year that God does something marvelous in your life! Just think, there are dozens of things God wants to teach us and dozens of ways He wants to work in our midst.

LET IT GO

Pray, pray, pray.

Submit to God.

Listen to God.

Obey God.

Watch Him work.

Give God the glory.