Going in Grace

Today we’re diving into a topic that many of us wrestle with—waiting. Specifically, the season of preparation. If you’ve ever felt hidden, overlooked, or delayed, this episode is for you. There’s a divine rhythm to elevation. God doesn’t rush leaders to the platform. He prepares them in the quiet places. In the wilderness. In the prison. In the pasture. And when the time is right, He opens the door no man can shut.
Psalm 75:6–7 (NKJV) says: “For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another.” Let that settle in your spirit. You don’t have to maneuver your way into influence. You don’t have to force visibility. When it’s time, God will exalt you.

Let’s start with Moses. Raised in Pharaoh’s palace, he had every earthly advantage. But when he tried to step into leadership prematurely—by killing the Egyptian—he ended up fleeing into the wilderness.
And there he stayed. For forty years. Exodus 3:1 (NKJV) says: “Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law...” From prince to shepherd. From palace to pasture. But it was in that quiet, hidden place that God shaped Moses into the deliverer Israel needed. His leadership wasn’t forged in luxury—it was refined in obscurity.

Joseph had dreams of greatness, but his journey was anything but glamorous. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused, and thrown into prison. Genesis 39:20 (NKJV) says: “Then Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king’s prisoners were confined. And he was there in the prison.” Yet even there, God was with him. Joseph didn’t manipulate his way to the throne. He served faithfully in every season. And when Pharaoh had a dream, Joseph was summoned—not because he campaigned, but because he was prepared.

Genesis 41:14 (NKJV): “Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him quickly out of the dungeon; and he shaved, changed his clothing, and came to Pharaoh.” God’s timing is never late. Joseph went from prisoner to prime minister in a single day—but it took years of preparation to be ready for that moment.

David was anointed as king while still a teenager, but he didn’t ascend the throne immediately. He went back to tending sheep. He played music for Saul. He ran for his life. He hid in caves. Psalm 78:70–72 (NKJV) says: “He also chose David His servant, And took him from the sheepfolds; From following the ewes that had young He brought him, To shepherd Jacob His people, And Israel His inheritance. So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, And guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.”

David’s leadership was shaped in solitude. In obscurity. In waiting. And when the time came, God established him—not because David pushed his way forward, but because he waited on the Lord. In 2 Samuel 5:1-5, we see the summary of David’s journey. A journey that demonstrates patience. David never usurped the throne, and even when King Saul was dead he still waited for the people to arrive at the conclusion that he was their King.

“Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and spoke, saying, “Indeed we are your bone and your flesh. Also, in time past, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel out and brought them in; and the Lord said to you, ‘You shall shepherd My people Israel, and be ruler over Israel.’” Therefore all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord. And they anointed David king over Israel. David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.”

Even if the people around you do not yet know what God has placed inside you to allow you to serve them, wait. Be patient. God knows, and His knowledge is all that matters. Even Jesus had a preparation season. Thirty years of quiet obedience before three years of public ministry.

Luke 2:52 (NKJV): “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” If the Son of God embraced preparation, how much more should we? So what does this mean for you?
It means you don’t have to rush. You don’t have to scheme. You don’t have to fear being forgotten. You don’t have to lobby to be in certain rooms. You don’t have to fight to be noticed by just the right mentor. God Himself will orchestrate a plan vastly greater and more beautiful than yours.

Isaiah 40:31 (NKJV): “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” God sees you. He’s preparing you. And when the time is right, He will exalt you. Your job is to be faithful. To steward the pasture. To serve in the prison. To worship in the wilderness. Because those places are not punishment—they’re preparation.

So today, I challenge you: embrace your preparation season. Don’t despise it. Don’t rush it. Let God do the deep work. Because when He opens the door, you’ll walk through it with integrity, wisdom, and grace.
Remember Philippians 1:6 (NKJV): “being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” You’re not behind. You’re being built. Stop watching the clock. God’s got you.

Thanks for joining me today. If this encouraged you, share it with someone who’s in the waiting room of purpose. And until next time—stay ready and trust the timing of God.