2ND WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

He is the Lord’s anointed.

Have you ever wanted to “help” God accomplish his plan for yourself or a loved one? That’s the temptation David faced in today’s first reading. He knew he would be king—the prophet Samuel had anointed him—but Saul still reigned (1 Samuel 16:13). David was well aware of Saul’s weaknesses: he had to play the harp to soothe the king during his violent outbursts (16:14-18; 18:10-11). And while David led countless successful military expeditions, Saul remained in his palace and grew more and more jealous of David’s achievements (18:9).

So why does David shrink back when the perfect opportunity to take Saul out of the picture presents itself? Because David understands that Saul is still the Lord’s anointed (1 Samuel 24:7). He knows that God is in control, and he trusts that the Lord will bring his good plans to fruition in his perfect time, without any outside help from David. So he remains patient.

We all have situations that we would like to see change for the better. But when you’re feeling frustrated by the pace of progress, when you’re impatient to see results, can you imitate David and trust God’s timing? The temptation to help God along can be especially strong, for example, when you’re a parent. Maybe a son is struggling with substance abuse, or a daughter has stopped going to church. Your first impulse might be to jump in and try to change the situation yourself. Sometimes that’s okay to do. But sometimes there are situations when it is best to wait and see what God will do.

The truth is, waiting on God’s timing for any situation in your life is hard. But pushing your own solution can sometimes cause more harm than good. So submit your desires to the Lord and ask for the grace to accept his timeline. Choose not to force the resolution you want. As you show patience in this way, you might be surprised to see how God is working in you.

Consider David. It probably wasn’t easy for him to stay his hand when he found Saul vulnerable. But exercising patience made him more ready to become the wise and holy king that God wanted him to be. It can help you grow in wisdom and holiness, too.

“Lord, help me to trust you as I wait.”

1 Samuel 24:3-21
Psalm 57:2-4, 6 and 11
Mark 3:13-19