Every once in a while, something hits you like a ton of bricks. It may be something someone said, a TV ad, a sermon or it may even be something out of the “mouths of babes”, but it hits you. It makes you stop dead in your tracks. Life is put on pause, if only for a second, and you think, “Wow”, I never thought of that!
I had a moment like that when I attended a worship conference not long ago. It was opening night and James MacDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel in Chicago, was speaking. He referenced the story of David, the shepherd who later became a king. And then he said this, “It’s important for us to realize the work that needs to be done between the anointing and the appointing, between being a shepherd and becoming a king”. That really resonated with me. The word “anointed” also means “blessed” or “chosen”. I guess I have always thought that if God anoints someone with a certain gift or blessing, that they are in the midst of that choosing right then. It never occurred to me that the blessing may come long before the appointment because there’s work to be done in the in-between time.
The proverbial phrase, “patience is a virtue” comes to mind. Patience is hard for me. Once I believe I know what God is planning, when I believe He has revealed something to me, then I want to run straight ahead with all my focus and all my priorities set on that goal! I say, “Ok, Lord! I got this! Now I know what You want me to do because I feel at peace about it!” But what I’m missing is the in-between time, the work-to-be-done time, the slow-down-and-wait-for-Him time. I believe God is always preparing us for the plans He designs in our lives. During some seasons, the preparation takes longer; it requires us to work harder and to have more patience. Other seasons may be short and the “appointing” quickly follows the “anointing”. But this idea of needing to do the work during the in-between time is important. It readies us for the job. It’s the exact amount of time we need to be shaped and molded into the person that’s required for the job.
David was anointed king by the prophet Samuel when he was about 15 years old, but he didn’t begin his rule until he was 30. David had to wait 15 years between being anointed and being appointed. And we can see through biblical text that he had a lot of work to do during that in-between time.
I believe we are all blessed by God to do something and it may not be one thing. So what has He blessed you to do? And are you doing the work that needs to be done before He appoints you? Or maybe you’ve already been appointed and you’re doing it! Consider this: is this your time to be the shepherd waiting for the anointing (blessing)? Are you in the “in-between time” needing to do the work that prepares you for what God is calling you to do? Or is this your time to be king and represent God’s calling on your life by doing the job He appointed you to do? In all of this, God’s timing is perfect. Recognize the anointing, do the good work and receive the appointing.
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