In 1 Samuel 23, David was on the run from Saul. He and his army of delinquent men were in Philistine territory, and Saul found out their location. So David went to God in prayer and asked Him two questions: 1) Will Saul really try to capture me? 2) If he does, will the citizens of the town hand me over to him? God answered yes to both questions, so David and his men had to flee once again. At this point, you might be asking yourself, Why couldn’t God just stop Saul from his maniacal pursuit or, at the very least, stop the citizens from surrendering David to him?

Verse 14 is the key to understanding this: “David stayed in the wilderness strongholds and in the hills of the Desert of Ziph. Day after day Saul searched for him, but God did not give David into his hands” (NIV, author’s emphasis). It’s easy to assume that David’s hardship was the result of God’s abandoning him, but verse 14 lets the reader know that God guided David each step of the way through the valley of the shadow of death. In fact, God used David’s long season in the wilderness to prepare his heart for what would come next — kingship.

Do you feel like you’re wandering in “desert strongholds,” waiting for the day God will deliver you into greener pastures? Take heart! God is with you now, preparing you for the next season.

Today, entrust yourself to God’s sovereign hands.