Cassandra

For Saul, David was only there to serve him. For God's divine purpose David was there for many things. He was there to learn what it means to be a leader through serving; he was there to learn the protocols of leading a kingdom; he was there to gain favor from those with whom he connected which God would use; he was there to learn humility. I also think this was God's way of probably reminding David of His promise to him. Paul writes Timothy as encouragement to use the prophecies spoken over him in order to fight the warfare against him. It's easy to look at some of our circumstances leading us to think we either heard incorrectly, need to help God speed things up, and/or need to move which all takes us out of position for what God has for us. We, as humans, struggle with using the seasons God has given us to learn because we often want to move too fast, want to circumvent processes and have unchecked pride. God is a good God, so He knows what areas need to be cultivated. Jesus says in John 15 that as we remain in Him, we will inevitably be "pruned". The pruning isn't fun but necessary. Some pruning takes more time than others, but God looks at the heart. Not only does He prepare our heart, but He prepares our minds with the practical know-how so we can be effective where He positions us. In Isaiah 66 God assures the people through correction that though they labor, delivery will come. Labor isn't fun and there are inconveniences/discomfort during the pregnancy. All of it is necessary for the baby to develop. As people, we don't like to wait, we don't like pain (or perceived pain) and we really don't like the process of change, though we often pray for change in some circumstance we face. What helps us to become more teachable is to humble ourselves: to not think that we have all the answers or most for a certain situation. We can also ask the Holy Spirit, "What do You want me to learn here?" which brings me to the final point of not thinking it's all about us. We get caught up in these patterns most often because the focus is on ourselves and whatever goal/desire/accomplishment we have in mind.