JOURNEY TO YOUR THRONE

BY PASTOR T. O. BANSO

The Bible says we should imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises (Hebrews 6:12). James 5:11 mentions the patience or perseverance of Job. This is true because despite the tragedy that befell Job for no sin that he had committed, he remained committed to God until God visited him and restored all that he had lost. Along the line, he did complain because he could not find God in all that he was going through until God eventually answered him. Nevertheless, Job never let go of God (Job 23). Job remained steadfast throughout the period of his adversity.

David’s Journey to the Throne

In another respect, David is an example of waiting patiently in faith for the fulfillment of God’s promise. God is not man that He should lie; His promises will always come to pass (Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29). However, His promises are not always fulfilled in a hurry.

In 1 Samuel 13:14, Samuel told Saul that his kingdom would not continue for the LORD had sought for himself a man after His own heart to be the captain of His people because Saul had failed to obey God’s command.

In 1 Samuel 15:28, Samuel told Saul the LORD had rent the kingdom from him and had given it to a neighbour better than him.

In 1 Samuel 16:13, Samuel anointed David king in place of Saul – this was done privately in his father’s house, before his brothers. From then, there was no peace for David. Rather than become king, he became a fugitive – living in caves and running from one place to the other from Saul who wanted to kill him.

Saul nearly killed David on more than one occasion before he ran away from him. David was one of his servants in the palace, but Saul hated him. He even made him a captain of over a thousand in order to expose him to the danger of being killed during war. This plot also failed.

In another plot, Saul gave his daughter to David in marriage, with a view to killing him through his wife. Nevertheless, he escaped through the window with the help of his wife, Michal, Saul’s daughter (1 Samuel 18:10-11, 17-19, 20-27; 19:1-3, 11-18).

Despite the fact that Samuel had anointed David king, he was not anything near the throne throughout the reign of Saul. However, that did not change or annul the promise of God. Is your present experience contrary to God’s promise to you? It may be, but it cannot invalidate the promise of God.

When Samuel anointed David king, he did not tell him he would go through all the troubles he went through – Samuel himself might not have known. Prophets do not always know everything; they only know what the Holy Spirit reveals to them.

God usually does not always tell you what you will go through to become who He has ordained you to be. He may tell you the end, but He will hide the process, the chains of events from you – God allows the process to unfold and expects you to submit yourself to His process of making you. The life or destiny of a man is like a scroll that is rolled up and is unrolled gradually. God’s process of making you is not always revealed from the beginning to the end ahead of time; it unfolds gradually.

That explains why you require faith and patience because the process is neither fast nor always palatable. The Bible says Jesus learnt obedience by the things that he suffered – not by the things he enjoyed (Hebrews 5:8). He endured the cross and despised the shame (Hebrews 12:2).

You have to trust God that He has the best plan for you, even when you do not know the details. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter” (NKJV) .You may find out from Him but you can only know what He wants to reveal to you. “He reveals deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, And light dwells with Him” (Daniel 2:22 NKJV). However, Deuteronomy 29:29 says, “The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law” (NKJV).

Although Samuel anointed David king, he did not enter the palace the following day neither did he actually become the king of Israel until many years later. David was anointed king three times before he eventually became the king of Israel! What a tortuous journey to the throne!

1.Samuel anointed him king privately in the midst of his brothers (1 Samuel 16:12-13).

2. The men of Judah anointed him king over the tribe of Judah following the death of Saul while the house of Saul was still ruling over the remaining tribes of Israel (2 Samuel 2:5).

3. All the elders of Israel came to Hebron and anointed David king over all Israel after the death of Abner and Ishbosheth, Saul’s son (2 Samuel 5:3-5).

Not until David was anointed the third time did he become king over the entire nation of Israel. “David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah” (2 Samuel 5:4-5 NKJV). To become the king of Israel was not easy for him despite the fact that Samuel had anointed him king. Saul was the greatest enemy he faced on his journey to the throne.

God has destined a throne for you. God is taking you somewhere. But that God has promised you something does not mean that you will have no opposition. However, there is the assurance of the infallibility and integrity of the Word of God. It will come to pass. “I assure you, until heaven and earth disappear, even the smallest detail of God’s law will remain until its purpose is achieved” (Matthew 5:18 NLT). The opposition may be strong, but God will make you stronger like He made David. “Now there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David grew stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker” (2 Samuel 3:1 NKJV). I love that.

That you have received a prophecy does not mean that you will get to your throne overnight. It does not ALWAYS happen like that. There is usually a process, which is not ALWAYS fast. Hear what the Bible says about the children of Israel: “And the LORD your God will drive out those nations before you little by little; you will be unable to destroy them at once, lest the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. But the LORD your God will deliver them over to you, and will inflict defeat upon them until they are destroyed” (Deuteronomy 7:22-23 NKJV). Did you see that? Little by little, not all at once! Though God said He would drive out those nations before them little by little, the Israelites would have to fight for every inch of the land God had promised them. Unfortunately, the enemy the Israelites failed to drive out continued to live with them in the land contrary to God’s instruction to the Israelites. I pray you will possess your possession and get to your throne in Jesus’ name. The enemy will not frustrate you on the journey to your throne.

Please remember that from the scriptures we have read about David’s journey to the throne, David, when he was thirty years old began to reign over his tribe, Judah, and reigned for seven years and six months. Eventually, he was anointed king over the entire nation of Israel, reigning for thirty-three years. That means he was thirty-seven years and six months old when he was anointed king over the entire nation of Israel. There was a wide gap between when Samuel first anointed him king and when he ascended the throne as king of Judah and ultimately as king of the entire nation of Israel.

The Bible does not tell us the exact age of David when Samuel anointed him king. Some Bible scholars have suggested that he was probably sixteen years then while others have suggested something different. Let us assume that he was sixteen years old then. It would then mean that it took twenty-one years and six months for the Word of God, through Samuel, to come to pass. Samuel, who prophesied him king and anointed him king in his father’s house, had died long before then, but the prophecy was not dead. God’s promises are not dead; they are alive. Believe them and confess them. Pray the promises of God into your life.

Saul’s Journey to the Throne

The ascension of David’s predecessor, Saul, to the throne as the first king of Israel also followed three stages. That is not to suggest that the journey to your throne must follow three stages!

In Saul’s case, Samuel first anointed him king privately – only the two of them were there (1 Samuel 10:1). But Saul did not begin to reign as king immediately.

The second time, Samuel presided over a public selection process of king at Mizpah, where Saul was chosen as king and the people shouted, “Long live the king!” (1 Samuel 10:17-24). Samuel rounded off the ceremony by sending all the people to their houses. Saul also went home to Gibeah and valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him (verses 25-26). However, some rebels complained, “How can this man save us?” and despised Saul refusing to bring him gifts (1 Samuel 10:27). They criticized his proclamation as king but Saul held his peace.

However, after Saul led the people to victory over the Ammonites, who had encamped against the people of Jabesh Gilead, the victory silenced those who had despised him. Finally, Samuel gathered all the people together at Gilgal, and they made Saul king again – they reaffirmed Saul’s kingship. That made it the third time Saul was proclaimed king (1 Samuel 11:15). Samuel’s prophecy to Saul eventually came to pass. God’s Word shall come to pass in your life no matter the challenges or opposition you are facing. It is not too late yet!

Joseph’s Journey to the Throne

It took twenty-two years for Joseph’s dream that his brothers bowed before him to come to pass. He had the dream when he was seventeen years (Genesis 37:2, 5-11) and he became prime minster at thirty years of age (Genesis 41:46) – a difference of thirteen years. There were seven years of prosperity that Pharaoh had dreamt about and the seven-year famine was in its second year (Genesis 45:6) when his brothers came and bowed before him (Genesis 42:6, 43:26, 28, 44:14). He finally revealed his identity to them (Genesis 45). That made the two periods nine years. Therefore, thirteen years plus seven years of prosperity and two years of famine added up to twenty-two years!

Joseph went from his father’s house, to the pit, to Potiphar’s house, to prison, and finally to the palace. However, he ruled as prime minister the same land where he was both a slave and a prisoner. That is a testimony to the power of God. Joseph summed up his sad experience in the names he gave his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. “Joseph named his older son Manasseh, for he said, ‘God has made me forget all my troubles and the family of my father.’ Joseph named his second son Ephraim, for he said, ‘God has made me fruitful in this land of my suffering’” (Genesis 41:51-52 New Living Translation). What a reflection!

I say,  by the Spirit of God, that in the same place where you have been humiliated, you will be honoured in Jesus’ name. In the same business that you have failed, the LORD will give you outstanding success. Where you have recorded emptiness, you will experience abundance. The same mouth you have used to lament, you will soon use to sing. It will happen for you in Jesus’ name. God who did it for Joseph will do it for you.

The journey may be rough; do not quit

It was rough for David. The first anointing did not put him on the throne. He had to wait for God’s time though he had the opportunity twice to kill Saul to ascend the throne. David refused to adopt self-help (1 Samuel 24:1-22, 26:1-25). If he had listened to his men, Saul would have been killed! However, David chose to wait for divine timing.

If you are obeying the LORD and you find yourself still walking in darkness, please do not make your own light; wait for God’s light. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys his servant? If you are walking in darkness, without a ray of light, trust in the LORD and rely on your God. But watch out, you who live in your own light and warm yourselves by your own fires. This is the reward you will receive from me: You will soon lie down in great torment” (Isaiah 50:10-11 New Living Translation).

Upon the demise of Saul, he moved to another stage in God’s process of making him the king of Israel – he was anointed king by his tribe – Judah. It must have looked as if Samuel’s word would never come to pass.  Although David had not gotten to where he was supposed to be, he had left where he was. He was closer to where God had planned for him, even though he was not there yet. He was no more a fugitive hiding from Saul.

Where are you currently in the programme of God for your life? Are you thinking you will never get to where God has promised you, the dream or vision He has shown you? Are you getting weary because you’ve stayed for three, four, eight years where you are now on your journey in life? You feel you should have gone beyond where you are? Please never forget that to become God’s person, you must pass through God’s process.

God’s Word shall be fulfilled

God’s promise for your life shall come to pass no matter how long it takes. Just cooperate with God. The fulfillment of your destiny is like a journey. There is the starting point and the finishing point, but in-between, many things happen. Learn to give God thanks for where you are now on this journey. You may not have arrived at where you think you should have been now but you are not where you used to be – you have already taken off and you are moving forward notwithstanding the challenges you are facing.

Have faith in God that you will get to your throne. You will not die on the journey.

God who calls you is faithful, and He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24). “But these things I plan won’t happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, do not despair, for these things will surely come to pass. Just be patient! They will not be overdue a single day! (Habakkuk 2:3 The Living Bible). There is a throne waiting for you. You will get there in Jesus’ name.

TAKE ACTION!

If you are not born again, you need to give your life to Jesus now. I urge you to take the following steps: *Admit you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your life. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing and Bible-teaching church. There they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.

Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto you today. I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me and resurrected the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I surrender my life to Jesus now and invite Him into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.

I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You will need to join a Bible believing and Bible teaching church in your area where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like the palm tree and grow like the cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The LORD be with you.

T. O. Banso is the President, Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
Phone No: +2348155744752, +2348033113523
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Email: cedarministryintl@yahoo.com,
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Website: www.cedarministry.org