Plants growing out of people’s gutters or flowers in the middle of a concrete slab always baffle me. First, how did that little seed end up there and second, how did it have what it needed to grow? We have a large grouping of canna lilies growing in our junk pit. Every year their blooms astound me. They are literally growing out of a pile of logs that were pushed together and started rotting. What are the odds of their survival?

Like plants, we too grow where we are planted. If we are going to survive, we have to learn to adapt and put down roots, even when the soil is rocky, hard, or difficult. I think about King David in the Old Testament. Samuel came to anoint the future king and asked Jesse to assemble all his sons. David wasn’t considered worthy enough to be summoned, so Jesse left him tending the sheep while he showed off the other brothers to Samuel. But David was the one Samuel ended up anointing as king, even though he wasn’t his father’s choice for the job.

And then David joined the ranks of Saul’s army after he boldly confronted Goliath and for a while, he was favored by the king. But then, after David won battle after battle, Saul became jealous and sought to kill David. David spent over a decade running from Saul, hiding in the shadows, waiting on his anointed kingship to come about.

I think about David and wonder how he did it. He knew he was to be king, yet Saul was still the king, so that meant David had to wait. It was in that rocky soil of hiding, battling, and waiting, though, that he grew into a man worthy to be the king. He learned the value of submitting to authority as he still honored Saul and his position as king. Easily David could have taken Saul’s life several times, yet his integrity bled through as he honored King Saul, even when Saul was not honorable. David also learned to wait on the Lord. God called him to be king, but David did not force his way into that position. As a matter of fact, he was king of Judah for seven years before he was even elevated to king over both Judah and Israel. God’s timing was the best, and David learned that as he waited. He also understood the power of resting in God’s promises. Through Samuel, the anointing came, but through God’s daily provisions, David’s strength, sustenance, and livelihood was maintained. God was faithful and always had been, so David rested on those promises and trusted God’s leadership.

When we are planted somewhere, we have two choices: grow or die. So many of us get into these impossible situations like David, we succumb to the pressures of the world, and we let our spirits die. Instead of retreat and defeat, we need to look at the flowers in the concrete, the lilies in the junk pit and the difficult journey of David. The situation is not impossible, it’s just going to take some intentional focus on growth to make the most of it.

So, grow where you’re planted. Dig those roots deep into the soil of God’s truth. Bow your will to His. And wait. But don’t waste the wait. Like David, spend that hard time allowing growth to happen. And soon, things won’t look as bleak and God will show you the reason for all the waiting. David became one of the most well known and greatly celebrated kings in history. Who knows what He has in store for you.