Crowns and Thorns
He walked into house looking rough and untidy as usual, he had to be, he had been hanging out with the sheep on the field. But suddenly he realized none of his elder siblings bullied him as they usually would. Something was unusual about this day. He tried to read his father’s face, but caught a glimpse of the stranger in the house, it must be the usual elderly man with a long stick on his left hand and a cruse of oil on his right hand. (I Sam 16:10-11)
Dave is the last of eight children, but he seemed to prefer the wild to the comfort of his father’s house. When the Prophet saw him, he saw through the filth and dirt and saw the man who the crown fits. Unlike his seven elder brothers, he wasn’t as good looking as they were, yet the oil flowed. God does have a sense of humour, in that moment they realized not all gold glitters. The word was out to his family, a new king was in the making. (1 Sam 16:12-13)
It was Bob Marley who sang in one of his hit songs “Who the cap fits, let them wear it”. But not so fast; Just when he thought his life was going to get easier, he found himself confronted with assassins on a daily basis. He was a moving target for Saul’s hate. Crowns are great to have, but are heavy to carry, some even come with thorns. We have been anointed for a work on earth, but it is not without its own fair share of thorns. It took 14 years before Dave, the boy king would be recognized as the King over Judah, which was just a tribe of Israel. (2 Sam 5:3)
The battle was far from over, his greatest rival was dead, but a new rival had emerged, the surviving son of Saul, Ishbaal became King over Israel. This definitely was not funny, imagine you were Dave. Just when you thought your years of being a fugitive on exile was over, you are confronted with yet another existential threat. It would be another seven years before Dave would become King over Israel (2 Sam 5;3).
Now realize that King David was anointed as King three times. In the second and third time the people were merely catching up with what God had done many years before. He had gained legitimacy over the people. But to have favour with men without having favour with God is a recipe for disaster. Just further down the line we find a young man, Prince Absalom, one of the sons of David, who won favour with men, but never had God’s endorsement. Unlike his father David, Prince Absalom, walked his way into people’s heart. (2 Sam 15: 2-6)
By setting his eyes on the throne without approval from God, Prince Absalom set the stage for his eventual demise. Rom 13;1 says there is no authority except from God. Whether God-fearing on not, God is the one who puts people in position of power. In an era when people are keen on power and influence, we must realize that self promotion is not always the way, even when we are genuinely called, we cannot short change the process. The awareness of the call is first the beginning of the process. The journey maybe unknown, but trust and rely on God to take you to that destination. All you need is to stay connected to the Holy Spirit and stay sensitive to the presence of God. Walk in wisdom and be courageous in taking the steps that he orders you to take. Your crown is guaranteed, but how you deal with the thorns along the way determines how you get there and whether you get there at all. Whether it takes Seven years or fourteen years or beyond, God’s word goes out once and it stands till it accomplishes its purpose, once and for all.
-Ferdinard Adimefe
Ferdinand Adimefe is a serial entrepreneur passionate about culture and creative industrialization. He curates expressions centered on faith, innovation and technology. He is a Father, Husband, Author and conference speaker; He is also a Pastor at The Tribe Lagos.
