Trusting God's Timing: The Power of Active Waiting
Summary
Life often feels like a series of unexpected twists—good news followed by bad, hope followed by disappointment. David’s journey in 1 Samuel 24 is a vivid example: anointed as king, he’s then hunted by Saul, forced to hide in caves, and presented with a “golden opportunity” to end his suffering by taking Saul’s life. Yet, in the darkness of that cave, David chooses not to seize control or justify wrongdoing, but to wait on God’s timing and trust in God’s promises. This is not passive resignation, but an active, faith-filled waiting that refuses to shortcut God’s process, even when circumstances seem to line up perfectly for self-advancement.
The temptation to take matters into our own hands is universal. Like David, we’re often presented with shortcuts—rationalized revenge, pilfered pleasures, cowardly compromise, or panic-driven presumption. Each of these is a way of trying to perfect by the flesh what was promised in the Spirit. The world tells us to seize the moment, but God calls us to trust Him, even when His timing is mysterious or His path is hard. David’s refusal to harm Saul, even when justified by circumstance and encouraged by those around him, is a powerful reminder: you never achieve the purposes of God by breaking the commands of God.
Waiting on the Lord is not inactivity. David was busy—praying, writing psalms, confronting Saul, and seeking God’s direction. True waiting is like a five-star waiter: attentive, responsive, and ready to act at the Master’s word, but never rushing ahead or forcing outcomes. The real enemy is not the “Sauls” in our lives, but our own inability to wait and trust.
Psalm 57, written by David in the cave, reveals the heart behind this kind of waiting: confidence in God’s sovereign purpose, assurance of His steadfast love, and a steadfast heart that sings even in suffering. This is not mere willpower, but a response to God’s prior faithfulness and acceptance. Ultimately, David’s story points us to Jesus, who waited on the Father, refused shortcuts, and showed steadfast love to His enemies—even to us. When we see that Jesus loved and accepted us at our worst, we gain the confidence to trust Him in every circumstance, resisting shortcuts and waiting for His goodness to unfold.
Key Takeaways
- Circumstances Alone Are Not God’s Guidance
Not every open door or “coincidence” is a sign from God. Sometimes, what looks like providence is simply a test of our character or a temptation to shortcut God’s process. The surest guide is always God’s Word, not the alignment of circumstances or the urgings of others—even when they quote Scripture out of context. [07:11]
- You Cannot Achieve God’s Purposes by Breaking God’s Commands
No matter how justified you feel, or how much wrong you’ve endured, the ends never justify the means in God’s kingdom. David’s refusal to harm Saul, despite every rationalization, shows that obedience is measured not by outcomes but by faithfulness to God’s ways. Our integrity is tested most when shortcuts seem most reasonable. [12:28]
- Waiting on God Is Active, Not Passive
Biblical waiting is not sitting idly by; it’s a posture of trust that is attentive, prayerful, and ready to act in obedience. Like a five-star waiter, we are to be alert to God’s leading, doing what we can without compromising, and refusing to force outcomes through manipulation or anxiety. This kind of waiting shapes our character and deepens our faith. [23:53]
- Steadfast Confidence Flows from God’s Steadfast Love
David’s ability to wait and obey was rooted in his confidence that God’s purposes were sovereign and His love was steadfast—even in the cave. Our obedience is sustained not by our willpower, but by our assurance that God is for us, working all things with loving intent. When we are secure in His acceptance, we can resist the urge to control and instead rest in His timing. [37:09]
- Jesus Is the Ultimate Example and Resource for Waiting
David’s story is a silhouette of Jesus, who waited on the Father, refused shortcuts, and showed mercy to His enemies—us. Jesus’ steadfast love, shown at the cross, is the foundation for our trust. We don’t wait and obey to earn His acceptance; we wait and obey because we are already accepted. This gospel order empowers us to resist shortcuts and trust God’s goodness, even in the hardest seasons. [42:52]
Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[01:51] - David’s Good News, Bad News Journey
[03:18] - When Life Takes an Unexpected Turn
[04:59] - Saul in the Cave: A Divine Test
[07:11] - Are Coincidences God’s Will?
[09:28] - Satan’s Shortcuts and Scriptural Twists
[11:32] - David’s Integrity and the Limits of Justification
[13:31] - Saul’s Response and the Limits of Reconciliation
[16:46] - Two Choices: Take Control or Trust God
[17:23] - Four Sinful Shortcuts We Rationalize
[21:27] - The Power of Waiting on the Lord
[23:53] - Active Waiting: Five-Star Service to God
[25:28] - The Real Enemy: Our Inability to Wait
[29:16] - Psalm 57: David’s Heart in the Cave
[32:11] - Sovereign Purpose and Steadfast Love
[36:27] - Steadfast Confidence in Suffering
[39:26] - David as a Foreshadowing of Jesus
[42:52] - The Gospel Order: Acceptance Before Obedience
[43:49] - Responding to God’s Call to Wait and Trust
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: Waiting on God’s Timing (1 Samuel 24 & Psalm 57)
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### Bible Reading
- 1 Samuel 24 (David spares Saul in the cave)
- Psalm 57 (David’s prayer from the cave)
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### Observation Questions
1. In 1 Samuel 24, what “golden opportunity” does David have while hiding in the cave, and how do his men interpret this situation? ([06:38])
2. What specific action does David take instead of killing Saul, and how does he explain his decision to his men? ([11:32])
3. According to Psalm 57, what does David say about God’s purpose and love for him while he is in the cave? ([30:37])
4. How does Saul respond when David reveals what he has done (and not done) in the cave? ([13:31])
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why does David refuse to harm Saul, even though it seems like God has delivered Saul into his hands and his men are encouraging him to act? What does this reveal about David’s understanding of God’s will? ([12:28])
2. The sermon says, “You never achieve the purposes of God by breaking the commands of God.” How does David’s choice in the cave illustrate this principle? ([12:28])
3. In Psalm 57, David talks about God’s “steadfast love” and “sovereign purpose.” How do these beliefs shape the way David responds to his suffering and temptation? ([32:11])
4. The sermon compares David’s waiting to a “five-star waiter.” What does it mean to wait on God actively rather than passively? ([23:53])
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon lists four “shortcuts” we often take when life gets hard: rationalized revenge, pilfered pleasures, cowardly compromise, and panic-driven presumption. Which of these shortcuts are you most tempted by, and what does it look like in your life? ([17:23])
2. Can you think of a time when circumstances seemed to “line up” for you to do something you knew wasn’t right? How did you decide what to do, and what role did God’s Word play in your decision? ([07:11])
3. David’s men used Scripture out of context to justify killing Saul. Have you ever felt pressure from others (even Christians) to take a shortcut or justify something questionable? How did you respond? ([09:28])
4. The sermon says, “Waiting on the Lord is not inactivity.” What are some practical ways you can be “actively attentive” to God while you wait for Him to move in a difficult situation? ([23:53])
5. David’s confidence came from knowing God’s steadfast love and sovereign purpose. When you are in a “cave” season, what helps you remember God’s love and purpose for you? ([32:11])
6. The sermon points out that Jesus is the ultimate example of waiting on God and refusing shortcuts. How does knowing that Jesus waited for you and loved you at your worst give you strength to wait and trust God now? ([42:52])
7. Is there a specific area in your life right now where you need to stop trying to control the outcome and instead trust God’s timing? What would it look like to surrender that area to Him this week? ([43:49])
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Closing Prayer Suggestion:
Ask God for the faith to trust His timing, the courage to resist shortcuts, and the confidence that comes from knowing His steadfast love. Pray for each other to be “five-star waiters” who are attentive and ready to obey God, even when waiting is hard.
Devotional
Day 1: Trusting God’s Timing Over Taking Shortcuts
When life takes an unexpected turn for the worse, it’s tempting to take matters into your own hands, rationalizing shortcuts or compromises to get what you want. Yet, as seen in David’s story, even when circumstances seem to line up perfectly for you to act, the right path is to trust God’s timing and refuse to achieve His purposes by breaking His commands. David had every reason and opportunity to end Saul’s life and claim the throne, but he chose to wait on the Lord, demonstrating that fortuitous circumstances are not always a sign from God. Instead, the true test of faith is to trust God’s Word and His timing, even when shortcuts seem justified or easier. [07:40]
1 Samuel 24:3-7 (ESV)
And he came to the sheepfolds by the way, where there was a cave, and Saul went in to relieve himself. Now David and his men were sitting in the innermost parts of the cave. And the men of David said to him, “Here is the day of which the Lord said to you, ‘Behold, I will give your enemy into your hand, and you shall do to him as it shall seem good to you.’” Then David arose and stealthily cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. And afterward David’s heart struck him, because he had cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, the Lord’s anointed, to put out my hand against him, seeing he is the Lord’s anointed.” So David persuaded his men with these words and did not permit them to attack Saul. And Saul rose up and left the cave and went on his way.
Reflection: Where in your life are you tempted to take a shortcut or compromise your integrity because waiting on God feels too hard or slow? What would it look like to trust God’s timing instead of forcing your own way today?
Day 2: You Never Achieve God’s Purposes by Breaking God’s Commands
David’s refusal to harm Saul, even when it would have solved many of his problems, shows that the ends never justify the means in God’s kingdom. No matter how justified you feel or how much someone else’s sin has hurt you, your response must be rooted in obedience to God’s commands. “Out of the wicked comes wickedness”—your circumstances or the actions of others never excuse your own disobedience. God calls you to respond with integrity, trusting Him to be the judge and avenger, rather than taking revenge or rationalizing sin. [13:31]
1 Samuel 24:11-13 (ESV)
See, my father, see the corner of your robe in my hand. For by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you, you may know and see that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the Lord judge between me and you, may the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall not be against you. As the proverb of the ancients says, ‘Out of the wicked comes wickedness.’ But my hand shall not be against you.
Reflection: Is there someone who has wronged you, and you feel justified in responding in kind? How can you choose to honor God’s commands in your response, even if it means letting go of your “right” to get even?
Day 3: Waiting on the Lord Is Active, Not Passive
Waiting on God does not mean doing nothing or being passive. Like David, you are called to be attentive, prayerful, and faithful in your actions, but always from a posture of trust and a refusal to compromise into sin. True waiting is like a five-star waiter—actively attentive to God’s will, ready to move at His direction, and refusing to manipulate circumstances or force outcomes. The greatest enemy is not your “Saul” or your circumstances, but your own inability to wait on God with faith. [25:28]
Psalm 27:13-14 (ESV)
I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to shift from anxious striving or manipulation to active, faith-filled waiting on God? What practical step can you take today to “wait on the Lord” with trust?
Day 4: God’s Sovereign Purpose and Steadfast Love in Every Trial
Even in the darkest caves and most confusing seasons, God is working out a sovereign purpose for your life, woven with steadfast, unchanging love. Like David, you can trust that no circumstance is outside of God’s control or His loving intent for you. Though you may not always see what He is doing, you can rest in the assurance that every thread of your story is held in His hands, and He will fulfill His purpose for you in His perfect timing. [34:37]
Psalm 57:1-3 (ESV)
Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He will send from heaven and save me; he will put to shame him who tramples on me. Selah. God will send out his steadfast love and his faithfulness!
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you need to believe that God has a loving purpose, even if you can’t see it? How can you remind yourself of His steadfast love and sovereignty today?
Day 5: Assurance of God’s Acceptance Empowers Obedience
The power to trust and obey God, even when it’s hard, comes not from your own strength but from the assurance that God has already accepted and loved you in Christ. Jesus, like David, refused shortcuts and vengeance, but went even further—He laid down His life for you when you were still in rebellion. When you see that God’s acceptance comes first, and that He loved you at your worst, you gain the confidence to trust Him and obey Him in every circumstance, knowing He is for you. [42:52]
Romans 5:6-8 (ESV)
For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Reflection: How does knowing that God loved and accepted you before you ever obeyed Him change the way you face today’s challenges? Where do you need to rest in His acceptance so you can obey Him with confidence?
Quotes
I wanna use these stories of David today to warn you against the temptation that we tend to fall into in moments like that. And that is to take matters into your own hands or to put it in theological terms, to attempt to perfect by the flesh what was promised in the spirit. Y 'all, this is a major theme in the Bible. If you pay attention, you will see almost every Bible character go through a season like this one. And I'll show you a few of those today, but it's just gonna happen in a major way to David. [00:04:27]
Fortuitous circumstances are not always the sign that God is behind something. I say that because it is amazing how many people justify immoral or foolish behavior through some coincidence. My current marriage was not working. And I met this new guy at work who is just perfect. I mean, we even love the set. We have the favorite song right now on K -Love. It was just too coincidental. It just felt like fate. I really wanted that. I really wanted that car. [00:07:23]
And unexpectedly, the price dropped. Then unexpectedly, I got approved for a loan. And then I got a credit card thing in the mail telling me I was good for this amount of credit. And I feel like God is giving me a sign that he wants me to have that car. Of course, taking out this loan is gonna put me in significant debt and will likely make me car poor and eliminate any possibility of ever being generous. But why else would all these circumstances just happen? Friends, I am not saying that God never uses coincidences to direct us. [00:08:08]
But sometimes coincidences are just coincidences. And they're nothing more. Pastor John Muller here at our Capitol Hills campus said when he was about 12, his dad was trying to make a big decision. And one afternoon, he and his dad were driving home. And as they pulled into their driveway, seven doves, or what looked like doves, flew up out of the yard. And John said, my dad counted out loud, one, two, three, four, seven. Seven doves. Son, a dove is what descended on Jesus at his baptism. And seven is God's number of completion. There's our answer. [00:08:25]
Now, again, I'm not saying God never uses circumstances to guide us, but sometimes doves are just doves. And sometimes they're pigeons that look like doves. But the thing you can always count on to guide you is God's word. So the foremost consideration in David's mind is not, what are these circumstances guiding me to do? But what does God's word say? Furthermore, you all realize that God is not the only one who arranges lucky coincidences in your life, right? [00:09:06]
You see, the temptation that David is going through follows a pretty clear pattern. Satan is tempting David to take matters into his own hands, and he even uses scripture to do it. Do you see how David's men quoted scripture to urge David to kill Saul? Do you see that in verse four? This is what he said to you. Remember, Samuel prophesied this. This isn't the Bible. God's gonna give your enemy into your hand. David, this is the moment. They use scripture to try to motivate him. That was how Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness too, wasn't it? [00:09:37]
If you just take this little shortcut, you don't have to go through the cross. You don't have to go through any suffering. You can have it all right now. Don't wait on God to give you this. Go get it now for yourself. Y 'all, that's what Satan does. He starts with the truth. He holds up something God wants you to have, and then he urges you to step outside of God's will to go get it, to take a shortcut. [00:10:18]
The temptation is to pursue the promise of the spirit by the power of the flesh, by stepping outside of God's will. You will never find God's will by doing things your way instead of his. Watch what David does. David crawls right up behind Saul, and Saul leans over to grab some toilet paper or whatnot. David very stealthily cut off a corner of Saul's robe. But afterwards, David's heart struck him because he had cut off a corner of Saul's robe. David felt guilty for even doing that. [00:11:12]
Verse six, but David said to his men, the Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my Lord, the king, the Lord's anointed to put out my hand against him, seeing that he is indeed the Lord's anointed. Even if Saul is in the wrong, David says, this is God's appointed king, and these are God's appointed circumstances, and it is not for me to take matters into my own hands. I cannot achieve the purpose of God by breaking the commands of God. [00:11:54]
He could have played the victim card. Well, Saul's been using his position of power to abuse me and manipulate me. And by the way, wasn't Saul guilty of death for what he'd done? And hadn't God promised David the throne anyway? Yeah, all of those things I just said are true, and David could have used any of them as justification. But David knew that you never achieve the purposes of God by breaking the commands of God, never. [00:12:28]
Behold, this day, your eyes have seen how the Lord gave you into my hand in this cave. And some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, I will not put out my hand against the Lord, for he is the Lord's anointed. Then he waved a little corner of the robe that he cut off. He said, by the fact that I cut off the corner of your robe and I did not kill you, you can know from this proof, this evidence, this piece of your garment in my hand, that there is no wrong or treason in my hands. I have not sinned against you, though you hunt my life to take it. May the Lord judge between me and you. May the Lord avenge me against you, but my hand shall never be against you. Because the Proverbs of the ancient says it correctly, out of the wicked comes wickedness. In other words, your sin does not justify mine. For me to do wickedness would make me wicked, regardless of what you did to provoke it. Only from the wicked comes wickedness. And when you do wickedness, it makes you wicked, regardless of what somebody did that you think justifies it. The opposite of this proverb, by the way, would be the ends justifies the means. [00:13:31]
Just because somebody says they're sorry and just because you forgive them doesn't mean you can always go right back to normal. So when you've been abused, somebody simply saying to you, I'm sorry and crying about it doesn't mean that you're obligated to move back in immediately. He says he's sorry and he might be. She says she forgives him and she does. But that does not necessarily mean that she needs to move back in. There can and often should be a good gap of time to show if the repentance is real and if it will endure. So David very wisely says, I forgive you. I'm staying here for a while. [00:16:06]
You see, as I read this story, you basically have two choices. Two choices. Number one, you can take matters into your own hands. Or number two, you can do the hardest thing in the Bible, in the Christian life, and that is you can trust God and wait on his timing. Taking matters into your own hands usually takes one of four forms. Think of these as Satan's sinful shortcuts. [00:16:53]
David's men urged him to settle the score and they felt right about doing that. Revenge almost always feels right, doesn't it? I mean, when you're paying somebody back, whether it's verbally or through some action because of what they've done to you, you feel right about it. There's like a tuning fork in you that is tuned to the rhythms of the universe. And when you are paying somebody back for what they did wrong to you, you feel nigh unto deity in what you're doing. [00:17:23]
Remember we studied him a few weeks ago? After all the unfair treatment that Joseph had gone through being sold into slavery and lied about in prison unjustly when Potiphar's wife propositioned him, I have to think how tempting it would have been for Joseph to think as badly as my life has gone, I deserve this. Maybe that's what it is for you. An affair becomes an escape of pleasure in an unfair world. Or maybe you find that escape in a bottle, or through looking at porn, or through retail therapy, you just buy stuff. [00:18:56]
God is not moving fast enough on your timetable. So you take matters into your own hands, which leads to the fourth thing, letter D, rationalized revenge, pilfered pleasure, cowardly compromise, panic presumption. Y 'all, my alliteration game is on point today. Okay. Because God is not delivering on your timetable, you start manipulating circumstances, forcing things. Now, let me say this. I know that type A people who get stuff done, they're the ones hustling behind the scenes and you don't take no for an answer. That's how you've gotten to where you are. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's not necessarily a bad thing. But sometimes you're doing that because you're not willing to wait. [00:20:29]
David said, I will not stretch out my hand in wickedness against God's anointed, no matter how justified I feel in doing so. I will wait upon the Lord. I will do things his way because he's the one that made these promises. He's the shepherd to whom I have committed my soul. I will wait upon the Lord. In fact, everybody, let's say that. Say it together. Will you say it with me? Say it. I will wait upon the Lord. Y 'all, that one phrase would change so much in your life. [00:21:52]
If you're in a stymied career, everybody say it. I will wait upon the Lord. If you're financially not where you want to be, say it with me. I will wait upon the Lord. If you're still out in the pasture wondering when God is ever going to put you in the game, everybody say it. I will wait upon the Lord. If your marriage is not where it should be, if it is not where you want it to be, if it is not fulfilling you, say it with me. I will wait upon the Lord. If your kids are not where they ought to be, not doing what they ought to do, say it. I will wait upon the Lord. [00:22:42]
He protects himself by running. He prays about the situation, even writes a couple of Psalms that we still have access to today. He asked God to change the situation, pleads with God to change the situation. Given the opportunity, David confronts Saul publicly and passionately pleads his case before Saul. He's very busy. He just does so from a posture of trust and with a refusal to compromise into sin. Waiting on the Lord is a very active thing. [00:23:26]
The point is, we're supposed to wait on God like a five -star waiter waits on us. Trained on who God is and what he wants us to do. I'm trusting him. Man, I'm locked in and I'm going to do whatever he says. I think of it like that old Christian rock star, Bob Hartman of Petra. Anybody grow up listening to Petra, right? Discipled on Petra. Remember what he said, good things come to them who wait, but not to those who hesitate. So hurry up and wait upon the Lord. [00:25:20]
The biggest enemy in your life is not your Saul. It's your inability to wait. I would say that learning to wait might be the most important skill that you can have as a believer. Never. I've told you before about the famous Stanford marshmallow test done in the 1970s. You know, ironically, it's become famous as the marshmallow test, but it actually wasn't marshmallows. The participants were 32 children between the ages of three and five. [00:25:51]
Researchers then tracked these children for the next three decades until the early 2000s and found that children, the children, that small set that had been able to wait had consistently better life outcomes as measured by things like SAT scores, educational attainment, physical health, marriage, satisfaction, and a whole host of other things. The researchers from Stanford concluded that more than any other single factor they'd ever studied, the ability to wait predicted a child's future successes. Since then, there's been other much larger studies that have been done that back that up. [00:27:43]
Sovereign purpose, steadfast love, steadfast confidence. I told you my alliteration game is on fire this weekend. David says, my heart is steadfastly locked on you. Now y 'all don't miss this. This is the second time that David uses the word steadfast. The first time was in verse three when David used steadfast to describe God's commitment to him. Now he's using the word steadfast to describe his commitment to God. You see which one came first? It's really important. [00:36:38]
Miroslav said, it's when you don't believe in a God of justice, then you become violent and judgmental because you wonder who is gonna pay these people back for what they have done to you. He said, when you have watched somebody murder your parents and your siblings, how can you not be filled with a rage that eats you alive? He talked about how he wrestled for years with hating the people who had been so cruel to his people. He said, it was eating me from the inside out. But then he said, as I contemplated the gospel, I realized that because the people who did these things would one day answer to God, I didn't have to make them answer to me. And that gave me the resources not to hate them because I believe in a God of justice and a God who has steadfast love toward me. I don't have to take matters into my own hands. [00:38:09]
But when you know that you have a sovereign God who has a purpose for you that is saturated with steadfast love, you can patiently wait with steadfast confidence in him. Does that make sense? David's steadfast obedience came from his steadfast confidence in God, steadfast love. Which brings me to the most important dimension of this story. [00:39:13]
But like David, Jesus never took matters into his own hands. Jesus waited on the Father, trusting that his Father would make things right in his own time. And like David, Jesus was tempted by Satan to take a shortcut. Oh, just take this shortcut, Satan said. Just take this shortcut and you can have it all right now. But like David, Jesus refused. And like David, Jesus didn't take out vengeance on his enemies when he had the opportunity to and quite frankly, had the right to. After all, in this story, you and I play the part of Saul. [00:40:22]
See, that's where Jesus' story and David's story began to diverge. You see, Jesus did a lot more than just spare us like David spared Saul. Jesus actually died in our place so that we could be forgiven and restored to the palace. David merely let Saul go. Jesus laid down his life for us. And see, when you see that, that's going to give you the confidence to trust him. [00:41:10]
Same thing here, you got to keep the order right. It's not that you develop steadfast faith and then God accepts you. You develop steadfast faith because of your assurance that God has accepted you. Assurance of his acceptance comes first. God connects his cables to you, so to speak, and only then do you have the power to start. Assurance of his acceptance precedes consistency in his commands. [00:42:29]
So see, when you see that this whole story is about how he came after you, how he never stopped loving you, how he's accepted you in mercy when he could have killed you for treason, then you start to trust him. Assurance of his acceptance enables obedience to his commands. Again, it is not that you become a person of strong, flawless faith and then Jesus accepts you. It's when you have the assurance of his acceptance that you develop the confidence to always obey him, no matter what. [00:42:57]