Living in the Kingdom of God is a dance. Over the course of our lives, followers of Jesus learn to master two dance steps: moving in faith and waiting on God. The longer we follow Jesus, the more we realize when our steps are off, the dance will be a mess.
The Sport of Dance
I’m no expert in dance; we are a sports family. What I know about dance, I’ve learned from my younger daughter. She may be the best athlete in the family, but turned those abilities to dance instead of sport. It took me a few years, but I learned to appreciate her athletic strength and grace in dance.
But just as important as athleticism is timing. The value of timing is most evident in the early years. Strength and grace are less noticeable because either the dancer is in sync with the music and other dancers or she is not.
If the timing is off, the steps are off. If the steps are off, the dance is a mess.
The Dance with God through History
This is the dichotomy men and women have struggled with since the beginning of time. We are called to proactively move forward in faith while simultaneously waiting on God for his power, strength and wisdom.
Adam and Eve failed to wait on God. They moved forward, eating the fruit without permission. God removed them from the garden. Their eyes were opened. Sin entered the world.
Noah moved in faith by building a boat the size of a football field. Noah waited on God both to send animals to fill the ark and to enter the ark himself. He was rewarded and saved humanity.
Abraham followed God’s call to move to an unknown destination. Abraham waited on God to give him a son…an heir to the great wealth, blessing and call on his life. God blessed Abraham to be a blessing to his family and all he came into contact with.
Joseph heard God speak to him in dreams, but he tried to lord those promises over his brothers before God ordained. Sold into slavery, for years Joseph was forced to live a life not on his terms. God redeemed Joseph’s story, but not without pain and suffering.
Move. Wait. Move. Wait.
To be fair, each of these people both got the steps right and wrong. Adam and Eve were faithful to care for the garden, name the animals and walk with God most of their lives. Noah got drunk giving room for his son to defile him. Abraham jumped the gun and had a son with his wife’s servant. Joseph faithfully served his master and resisted the wife’s advances.
Move. Wait.
As followers of Jesus, those are the steps we dance. Move. Wait. God asks us to wait on him. God also calls us to be brave and move scared.
The patience to wait and the bravery to move are the defining characteristics setting two of the most famous kings in Israel apart. Saul never quite got the steps right. David rarely stumbled in this intricate dance.
The Failure to Wait
From the very beginning of Saul’s call to be king, waiting was the hallmark request of him. When Saul was a young man in his father’s house, he was sent to search for the family’s lost donkeys. It led Saul to the prophet Samuel’s hometown. Samuel meets Saul with these words:
“Go up to the place of worship ahead of me. We will eat there together, and in the morning I’ll tell you what you want to know and send you on your way.” -I Samuel 9:19
Move. Wait.
In his dance with God, Saul got this one right. Despite whatever hesitation he might have, Saul went to the feast, and Samuel anoints him to be king. However, once king, Saul’s missteps begin. Multiple times, Saul has this situation set before him.
In I Samuel 13, we find Israel at odds with their longtime enemy, the Philistines. The Philistines gather a massive army on the border of Israel. Saul calls his own army to face the Philistines, but he is instructed to wait for Samuel to arrive before acting.
Saul is scared. The army is jittery. Saul itches to move.
Saul waits one day, then another, and one more. After seven days of waiting for Samuel, Saul acts on his own. Saul seems to do the right thing. He offers a sacrifice to God. But for God, obedience is better than sacrifice, and wouldn’t you know it, Samuel shows up just as Saul wraps up!
It’s a sign of things to come. God knows Saul won’t get the dance steps right. Move. Wait. Wait. Move. Saul continues to be king for another thirty years, but the kingdom is ripped away from his family and given to the shepherd boy, David.
Wait. Move.
No Hesitation…to Ask
David’s entire adult life is dancing these steps with God. David is anointed to be king as a young man. Almost immediately the pressure begins. David finds quick success, and Saul resents him for it. Saul tries to kill David multiple times, and just as many, David has the opportunity to kill Saul.
David knows those are never the times to move, so he waits. Finally, God Himself clears the way for David to take the throne — Saul dies in battle. One of David’s first acts as king is to make Jerusalem his capital and home.
Israel’s old foe, the Philistines, don’t like David strengthening his throne so quickly, so they gather to attack. David has built quite a fortress in Jerusalem. For the moment, he is safe. Does he wait? Does he move?
The easy and safe decision is to wait. The brave and bold decision is to move. David starts by asking. David asks God,
“Should I go out to fight the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” -2 Samuel 5:19 NLT
A smart question, right?
Except now David is faced with an even more daunting task — obedience. David must obey whatever God directs him to do. Wait. Move. Here is God’s response,
“Go up,” GOD replied. “Count on me. I’ll help you beat them.” -2 Samuel 5:20a MSG
Good news. God is going to be with David. David believes and obeys. So David moves.
“David then went straight to Baal Perazim, and smashed them to pieces.” -2 Samuel 5:20b MSG
Not only does David move, but he makes no hesitation. David is rewarded with a massive win.
How to Dance with God
David got the dance with God right. What about you? Do you know the steps? Many times it’s natural and easy, but just as often it’s difficult and hard to know if you are to wait or move.
Here are five tricks I’ve learned over the years to getting the dance steps right in my own life:
1. Determine your default state.
David and Saul were both driven leaders. They have the same default state – move. What set David apart was his ability to also wait. David must have recognized this default desire to move within himself. The knowledge helped him temper his drive, so he could more easily wait when the situation called for it.
You have a default mode wired within you. Move or wait. Personally, my default mode is wait. Movement is more difficult for me. I’d rather wait a beat longer to analyze the situation. However, this can paralyze me for the long term too. Knowing this about myself, drives me to move more often.
It’s important for me to know this about myself because it helps me see my situation more objectively. I can play devil’s advocate with myself. When I take my natural preferences out of the equation, what should I do? What is God really saying to me?
2. Analyze your fear.
Fear is a natural emotion given to us by God. It is a survival mechanism to keep me alive. Fight or flight; move or wait. Fear is designed to drive us into action. Again, you have a natural disposition when faced with fear, so it’s important to know if the fear you are feeling is rational or irrational.
Can you train yourself to analyze your fear objectively? You should know the reality of the fear driving you. At the same time, you should also know the word of God (see below to know how to hear God’s voice). Fear should always be weighed with God’s word.
When Saul’s army began to melt away under the pressure of the enemy and their own inaction, his fear was legitimate. However, God’s instruction was just as real. God’s word always trumps my fear.
3. Take the next right step.
Intentionality is key to freedom. David knew he was never to take action against Saul – the Lord’s anointed. So when he had the opportunity to kill Saul, David knew the right step to take. Wait. In the long term it lead to freedom and success in David’s life.
What is the next right step you need to take? It’s a question you can always ask yourself when faced with this decision of move or wait. This is intentional living. It will help you answer the question of wait or move.
When you know the next right step, move (even if that means wait). When you aren’t sure what step you should take, wait.
4. Practice patience.
In one word, Saul’s problem was impatience. His lack of patience flowed from mistrusting God. Had Saul simply been content to wait he could have had the legacy of David.
Patience is never easy for driven men and women. We want to see improvement…now. We want movement in our lives…today. The fact you’ve read this far into this post tells me you have more drive than the average person.
The best way to learn anything is to practice it. Practice patience waiting in line at the grocery store. you can practice patience with your children. Practice patience with the people you work with. Pay attention to your breathing and heart rate. Be conscience of your thoughts about the people around you.
God is not always quick to move (as we consider speed). So we need to be patient in the waiting. If you can learn to wait patiently, blessing will follow.
5. Listen for and obey God’s voice.
Be quiet. Listen for “loud thoughts.” Hear outside voices. Measure these with scripture and mentors. These are all ways you can hear God’s voice. Contrary to what the culture tells you, God DOES speak, and he DOES want to speak to you.
When you hear God’s voice, it will be clear what you should do – wait or move. As Saul and David both learned, though, this doesn’t make obeying God’s voice any easier. Obedience is just as important as hearing God’s voice. But the more you obey God’s voice, the easier it will be to hear God next time.
Obedience will always more difficult than hearing, but the more you hear the more opportunity you have to be obedient.
The Master of the Breakthroughs
When David was faced with his wait or move moment in Jerusalem, he got the dance steps right. He waited, then he moved. It says that David named the place where he met his enemies, “Baal Perazim” or “Master of the Breakthrough.”
The challenge you are facing today – massive or minor – is an opportunity for God to breakthrough. When you wait on God to speak, and then are obedient to his word, you will see Him breakthrough in your life.
Can you imagine it? Can you imagine what your life will look like when God breaks through? God wants to breakthrough in your life. It may not look like you expect. You may move when you expect to wait. You may wait when you expect to move. Your obedience will result in you declaring God the Master of your Breakthrough too.
The dance steps are within your ability to learn. Dance with God. Move. Wait. Wait. Move.
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