Why Am I Still in a Waiting Season? How David’s Story Shows God Is Preparing You for Something Greater

There’s a moment in the story of David and Goliath that often gets overshadowed by the drama of the sling and the stone. It’s the moment just before the battle—when David tries on Saul’s armor and realizes he can’t wear it. “I cannot go with these,” he says, “for I have not tested them” (1 Samuel 17:39, ESV).

It’s a quiet but powerful line. And in it, we find a glimpse of how God works in our lives—how He prepares us in the quiet, hidden places long before we’re thrust into the spotlight. David didn’t face Goliath with weapons he hadn’t proven. He faced the giant with what he knew, because he had already lived it in the lonely fields as a shepherd.

God’s Training Ground Isn’t Always a Battlefield

When we think of preparation, we often picture intensity—training camps, bootcamps, trials by fire. But David’s preparation looked more like obscurity. He was the youngest of eight brothers, left out in the fields while the prophet Samuel was searching for the next king. His days were filled with sheep, not strategy; with songs, not swords.

But hidden in those fields were lions and bears—literal threats that required courage, skill, and, most importantly, trust in God. David later recounts to Saul, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:37, ESV).

David had seen God's faithfulness in those lesser-known battles. They weren’t glamorous. No crowds cheered. No one tweeted about the victory. But they built something deep in David: a tested faith.

We all go through those shepherd seasons—times when life feels small, unseen, and maybe even pointless.

You might be in a job that doesn’t feel like your calling, in a town that feels too quiet, or a routine that feels repetitive. But what if those are your lion-and-bear days? What if God is using them to build the muscles you’ll need for your Goliath moment?

Tested Faith vs. Borrowed Armor

When Saul offers David his armor, it seems generous, even logical. After all, Saul was a seasoned warrior. His armor was battle-tested—for him. But for David, it didn’t fit. It was unfamiliar. It hadn’t been tested in his hands.

This is where the story turns personal. How often do we try to step into someone else’s way of doing things? Their path. Their strategy. Their strengths. We put on armor that wasn’t made for us, trying to fight our battles in ways that don’t align with how God has shaped us. David had the clarity—and the courage—to say no.

Instead, he picked up five smooth stones from the brook. They may not have looked impressive, but they were familiar. He had used them before. More importantly, he had seen God move with them.

He wasn’t trusting in the sling; he was trusting in the God who had come through time and time again.

And that’s what made David run toward the fight.

Why David Ran

Most of Israel was paralyzed with fear. The sight of Goliath, day after day, taunting and towering, was too much. But David? “Then David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine” (1 Samuel 17:48, ESV).

He ran.

That’s not recklessness. That’s confidence. Not in himself—but in God. The God who had met him in the field. The God who had been faithful before. The God who would be faithful again.

This kind of courage doesn’t come overnight. It’s not manufactured in a moment of crisis. It’s grown in the soil of obscurity, watered by the tears of waiting, and strengthened by the repetition of obedience in the little things.

The Holding Pattern Is Holy

If you're in a season where it feels like you're waiting—on direction, opportunity, clarity—you’re not stuck. You're being shaped. David didn’t skip the shepherd season. And neither do we.

What feels like a holding pattern may actually be a holy pattern—God building resilience, deepening trust, refining character. He’s not wasting your quiet season. He's forging a warrior who will one day run toward the fight.

So don’t despise the field. Embrace the bears and lions. Show up with your sling every day. Because the day will come when God calls your name, and you’ll find yourself standing before a giant. And when that day comes, you won’t reach for someone else’s armor. You’ll pick up your stones, remember God’s faithfulness, and run—not away, but toward the fight.

And the world will finally see what God has been doing all along.

Reflection Questions:

• What “lions and bears” have you faced in your current or past seasons?

• Are there areas where you’ve tried to wear someone else’s “armor”?

• What might God be developing in you during this quiet or waiting season?

Scripture to Meditate On:

“The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” —1 Samuel 17:37 (ESV)

“And David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine.” —1 Samuel 17:48 (ESV)

Let your quiet season preach to your future. God’s not done with your story. He’s preparing you for a moment where His power, not yours, will bring the giant down.

Grace and Peace,