Joy in the Waiting

How David Held the Promise Without Letting Go

David was anointed king as a teenager. But he didn’t wear the crown for another fifteen years.

In between, there were caves. Betrayals. Isolation. False accusations. Long seasons of being misunderstood and hunted. If you’ve ever found yourself in the gap between what God has said and what you currently see, you’re in familiar company.

David knew he was called. But the road to the throne was anything but straightforward.

What sustained him? Joy.

Not a surface-level feeling, but a grounded confidence in the character of God. David learned to keep joy alive—not by pretending everything was fine, but by anchoring himself in the faithfulness of God even when nothing made sense.

In Psalm 27, likely written during his fugitive years, he says:

"I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."
"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord." (Psalm 27:13–14)

This isn’t passive waiting. It’s active trust. It’s the kind of waiting that draws strength from joy—the joy of knowing who God is and what He’s promised.

In Psalm 34, written “when he pretended to be insane before Abimelek,” David says:

"Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame."
"The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them." (Psalm 34:5,7)

Even while on the run, David could write about radiance. About deliverance. Not because life was easy, but because his heart was anchored.

These weren’t psalms written from the throne—they were written from the trenches.

And later, after he became king, David reflected on what had carried him through. In Psalm 16, he writes:

"You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand." (Psalm 16:11)

That’s retrospective. Looking back at years of wandering, he saw that what truly carried him wasn’t strategy or strength—it was joy in the presence of God.

This is what the life of David teaches us: Joy is not a reward for those who arrive. It’s the strength of those who are still on the road.

And this isn’t just David’s story. It’s Jesus’. Hebrews says, “For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus—Son of David—shows us that joy is how we endure. How we hold the promise. How we carry the cross.

If you feel the weight of delay, the strain of the middle, remember this: joy is not optional. It’s not extra. It’s essential.

Joy rooted in the promise of who God is and what He’s said.

Joy that gives you strength to persevere, even when the outcome is still out of sight.

Like David, keep going. Keep trusting. Keep singing if you can. And if you can’t sing, pray. If you can’t pray, groan. But don’t let go of joy.

It’s how the promise lives in you—before the crown ever touches your head.