David King over All Israel
5 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and [a]said, “Behold, we are your bone and your flesh. 2 Previously, when Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel [b]out and in. And the Lord said to you, ‘You will shepherd My people Israel, and you will be a leader over Israel.’” 3 So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, and King David made a covenant with them before the Lord in Hebron; then they anointed David king over Israel. 4 David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned for forty years. 5 At Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years over all Israel and Judah.
6 Now the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land; and they said to [c]David, “You shall not come in here, but even those who are blind and those who limp will turn you away,” [d]thinking, “David cannot enter here.” 7 Nevertheless, David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is, the city of David. 8 And David said on that day, “Whoever strikes the Jebusites is to reach those who limp and those who are blind, who are hated by David’s soul, through the water tunnel.” For that reason they say, “People who are blind and people who limp shall not come into the house.” 9 So David lived in the stronghold, and called it the city of David. And David built all around from the [e]Millo and inward. 10 David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of armies was with him.
11 Then Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David with cedar trees, carpenters, and [f]stonemasons; and they built a house for David. 12 And David realized that the Lord had appointed him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
13 Meanwhile David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David. 14 Now these are the names of those who were born to him in Jerusalem: Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon, 15 Ibhar, Elishua, Nepheg, Japhia, 16 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
“And David realized that the Lord…” Sometimes, we go about life, serving God the best we can, and all of a sudden we look back and say, “Hey, that was God doing all that stuff all along!”
But David had one of those moments here. After all the turmoil and chaos that ensued from Saul’s death, he had a moment of clarity where he saw the hand of God at work.
In everything that happens in our lives, God is at work. To be fair, sometimes we don’t notice God’s involvement, whether it’s because we aren’t paying attention, or because it isn’t obvious, or because we were off chasing our own plan. But God is always working things according to His plan, even when we are off doing our own thing.
Whether it’s a blessing, like David being made king, or a struggle, like the days David spent hiding out in the wilderness, God is in it all. You can’t outrun the God of the universe, and you certainly can’t out-plan Him either. The only thing you DO control is whether you’re submitting to, and following, His plan.