Then King David went in and sat before the Lord (2 Samuel 7:18, NLT).
I love the phrase “sat before the Lord.”
David went to a room in his palace and sat before the Lord. We don’t need a palace – a quiet place in our home, a back porch, a walk through a park, or sitting on a beach will be fine.
Sitting before the Lord: Being comfortable with God and not anxious; reflective about the past and future but not fearful.
Second Samuel begins with this verse, “The Lord had given David rest from all his surrounding enemies” (2 Samuel 7:1).
Our lives can be filled with stress, a busy schedule, and no extra time. Then life slows down, with no major problems and an unscheduled day appears on our calendar. David took that time to sit before the Lord.
It can be uncomfortable just sitting. I don’t “sit” well.
I need to be doing something. When there is nothing to do, I feel guilty. When I sit with another person who isn’t saying much, I tend to fill the quiet with lots of questions.
After sitting for a while, King David said to God . . .
Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far? (2 Samuel 7:18)
A nice way to begin a conversation with God after taking a moment to reflect on His goodness and blessings. Sitting with God, lacking the urgency of current problems, enabled David to experience the presence of a great God.
David had no agenda when He sat with God.
How many times have we sat with the Lord? Without complaining or doubt, without challenging questions or expressing frustration – just sitting.
We need to sit before God and say, “Thank you!”
I sat before the Lord just before writing this Interruption.
I sat in a chair in a conference room that overlooked Springfield, Ohio. I thought about my ministry, family, riding a bicycle, and a book that I was writing. I considered how God had blessed my entire life.
A great time with God – just sitting and reflecting. As I sat, I agreed with David when he wrote . . .
Because of your promise and according to your will, you have done all these great things and have made them known to your servant (1 Samuel 7:21).
I am blessed to be serving God full-time in ministry. I’ve preached thousands of sermons, traveled the world, heard testimonies of God raising the dead, experienced three-different revivals (Jesus Movement, Cuba, and Russia), and am now working to develop content for disciple-making.
David concluded his time of sitting with God . . .
How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! (1 Samuel 7:22)
I’m going to take time next week to sit with God again. How about you?