“And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.” 2 Samuel 5:24, NKJV

Have you ever seen one of those action movies where the characters involved in a grand scheme or plan must synchronize their watches to ensure everyone is moving at the right time?

When a big feat is to take place, it is good to make sure everyone is on the same page and moving at the proper time.

That’s what proper planning does.  It views the many angles of the story, not just the present or temporary moments, but all the moments included, and it determines when the best time is to do A, B, or C.

On the opposite end of this spectrum is impulsiveness.  It doesn’t always take every matter into account and consider all the possibilities.  It tends to move forward hastily, and sometimes prematurely.

Sometimes it is hard to determine the difference between impulsiveness, instincts, and zeal, but there is a difference.

When David finally became king, not just recognized as king in Hebron, but over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-3), there were still yet contentions he faced, including their long-time enemy, the Philistines.

If you will remember, David had great success as a youth in slaying their most prominent warrior, Goliath (1 Samuel 17).  But during the time between that battle and the one facing the Philistines here in 2 Samuel 5, David experienced many other inner and outer battles along the way.

In that, he grew not only in stature but in ability.  Through his fearlessness, faith, and fervor, he became a much-feared warrior and king.

But David didn’t allow his previous accomplishments to cause him to rest on his laurels.

There were still battles to fight and enemies to conquer, so David pursued and engaged – but not without God’s guidance.

He could have chalked up his previous victories as the all-encompassing plan to win all his battles, but he didn’t.

And that’s a good thing because, with each battle he faced God gave him different directions on how to gain a successful ending.

Here in chapter 5, in one battle David was instructed to “go up” (v. 19), and in the other, he was told to “circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines” (Vv. 23, 24, NKJV; emphasis added).

This was going to be the battle of battles with the Philistines.  After this event, they would no longer be a threat to Israel.  But to get there, David had to wait for the right time.

Back to our opening illustration of synchronization, time is everything.  But the caveat to that is, that the way we view time and the way God views time is vastly different (2 Peter 3:8).

Twice in verse 24, you see the word “then,” with God giving specific instructions on when David is to make his move.  Any time outside the premise of that “then,” was not his moment to advance.

If David wanted to ensure success, he had to synchronize his move with God’s “then,” with God’s timing.

While zeal, fervor, and experience are great, if it’s out of alignment with God’s moment to progress, it won’t work.

Our God works specifically and in order.  And more often than not, His design will not be on our timetable.

As infinite as He is, so are His plans and abilities, and through it all, taking the omniscient view of our lives, He knows when, where, and how something should be done.

But it is when we fight with impatience and frustration, when we can’t see it moving or how it will turn out, we find ourselves in precarious situations or wanting to give up altogether.

We don’t want “then,” we want now!

Instant victory.  Instant gratification.  And instant applause and promotion.

But when we pause at the “then” moments, we are simultaneously taking that occasion to learn how God is leading and giving Him room to work.

Listen for the sound of God’s moving.

This was David’s experience.  Not until he heard the marching in the tops of the mulberry trees was it safe for him to proceed regardless of his personal abilities or how he previously won battles.

My friend, God has a specific plan for you.  One drawn up and orchestrated out of His divine love.  Do not rush ahead of God.  He has an appointed time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1; Habakkuk 2:3).

Learning to wait for your “then” moments requires trust which is why Proverbs famously reminds us to “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5,6).

We will never have the full understanding God does for our lives (Isaiah 55:8,9), but what we can have is our trust and belief that He is perfect, His ways are perfect, and God knows what He is doing.

I don’t know what marching in the tops of mulberry trees audibly sounds like, but I do know what it sounds like in our lives of faith: waiting.

Waiting, patience, and being still when everything says go is hard.  But if that going is not marked by God’s stamp of approval, it will all be for nothing.

And if you are longing for me to give you specifics or signs or systems to find out how to know when your “then” moment is, I can’t.

Our Heavenly Father has a perfect timeline for everyone’s life, and He only can tell you when it’s your time to advance.

In the meantime, you may have to do one of the hardest things – continue to wait, continue to have patience, and continue to be still.

In these moments of not going, let them be filled with the activity of seeking God, seeking His face and His perfect will for your life.  Let them be filled with drawing ever nearer to His presence and learning to recognize and become more familiar with His moving in your own life.

Then, when you figuratively hear the marching in the tops of the mulberry trees (or by whatever means that you beyond a shadow of a doubt know it’s God’s prompting and leading you), you will know that your time has come, and you can advance forward successfully.

That second “then” assured David that by following God’s way, He was the one going before him.  And whatever we are doing, above all else, this is how we should want to win our victories: following God’s ways and Him going with us.

“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11

Text Free Image by Mariya from Pixabay