journey

2 Samuel 2 – Are We There Yet?!

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As a kid, going on a long trip was a big deal for me. I always felt anticipation and excitement as we pulled out of the driveway. But it wouldn’t be long before I would get restless and utter the words every parent dreads…“Are we there yet?”

When I read 2 Samuel chapter 2, I imagine David feeling the same way. At the beginning of his journey, he must have been excited, knowing he would eventually become king. But he didn’t know how long and hard the trip would be. I wonder, when he was hiding in caves and running from Saul did he squirm in his seat saying, “When are we going to get there?”

After Saul died, David must have thought, “Finally! This long journey is over. We’re finally there!” But then David is not made king over all of God’s people for another seven and a half years. I can hear him saying, “When are we going to get there?!”

Why does God work so slowly at times?

  • Maybe it’s because God is working out a multitude of other individual trips at the same time He’s working out ours. It takes time to bring all those trips together.
  • Maybe it’s because the real goal is not getting us to the destination, but rather growing our relationship with Him through the journey. This takes longer.

I don’t know, but I do know that God has promised He will finish what He started in our lives (Phil. 1:6) and that He will keep His promise. (Num. 23:19) (2 Cor. 1:20)

So, when your trip seems to be taking longer than you expected and your heart cries out, “When are we going to get there?!”…learn to focus on your relationship with the Driver, and keep believing that no matter how long the trip may be, He will get you there!

Now What?

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Dorothy has been threatened by Elmira Gultch, ignored by friends and family, caught up in a cyclone, and dropped in a strange place with strange people. She has unwittingly defeated the Wicked Witch of the East, and also kindled the anger of the Wicked Witch of the West.

She finds herself standing in Munchkin Land wondering, “Now what?”

Munchkin Land is pleasant and welcoming, but she knows she can’t stay there. She wishes she could return to Kansas and the way things were. At least she knew what to expect there. But returning to the way things used to be isn’t an option any longer.

Glenda the Good Witch tells Dorothy she needs to make a journey to the Emerald City. Then she shows Dorothy the yellow brick road. It’s the road to the Emerald City. It’s the road out of Oz.

Dorothy is uncertain at first. She’s wonders of how long the road will be or what she might encounter along the road. But seeing no other options, she takes a step. Then another. And then another. And before she knows it…she’s moving forward.

The journey has begun.

Like Dorothy, you too have experienced mounting difficulty that has picked you up, spun you around, and dropped you in a different place with different people. Your arrival has killed the witch of secrecy and denial, but has awaken a witch of fear and uncertainty.

You find yourself wondering, “Now what?”

Part of you wishes you hadn’t opened this “can of worms.” You wish you could just go back to the way things used to be. At least there you knew what to expect and had some control. But you can’t go back…at least not the way you came.

Then you wonder if you could just stay where you are. After all, you’ve been honest about what happened to you. What else is there to do? Still, something tells you that staying where you are will not be enough.

So, you gradually accept the only viable option…moving forward.

Counselors, pastors, and other survivors say you need to take a journey and follow a road leading to a place of help and hope. You eye the road and consider the journey. You wonder how long the road will be and what you will encounter on the journey. You even wonder if the journey will be worth it.

Finally, with everyone’s urging, you decide to take a step on the road. Then another. And then another. You find yourself moving forward toward a new place and a new life.

Your journey has begun.