Ever felt like you were called… but stuck in a season of “not yet”? You’re not alone. Whether it’s King David or King Jesus, even God’s greatest waited between their anointing and appointing. But take heart—your “in-between” is never wasted.

Key Takeaways


You’re Sealed and Claimed – God put His Spirit in you as a guarantee of what’s to come (2 Cor 1:21-22).


Anointed ≠ Immediately Appointed – David waited decades; Jesus waited years. Waiting doesn’t mean forgotten.


God Doesn’t Rush – He moves in perfect timing (Isaiah 60:22). You’re not behind schedule—you’re being prepared.


Your Wait Has a Purpose – David gathered strength and support; Jesus discipled and taught. Your delay is part of your development.

Join the Conversation

How are you holding onto faith in your waiting season? What has God been refining in you while you wait? Share your reflections using #LifeaudioNetwork. And remember: if He’s anointed you, He will appoint you—right on time.

🎙🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW — Your Nightly Prayer

🌟 Check out other Crosswalk Podcasts:Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews

Full Transcript Below:

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered 

by Deidre Braley 

2 Corinthians 1:21-22: Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. 

Have you ever experienced the tension of knowing that God has set you apart for a certain role, calling, or assignment in your life—only to have to wait for an extended period of time for it to happen? 

It can be confusing, frustrating, and even maddening to stand by while you wait for the moment when God will finally say, “Now!” But if you’re currently in an in-between season such as this, know that you’re in good company. In Scripture, we see multiple examples of people who were anointed by God for a specific purpose long before they were actually appointed to that role. 

Two that immediately come to mind are King David and King Jesus. 

David was first anointed to become king of Israel when he was just a teenager; the prophet Samuel set him apart for this work in private (1 Samuel 16:1-13) long before he would be publicly appointed king by the people of Israel in his thirties (2 Samuel 5:3). 

And though Jesus was anointed by God when he was baptized by John (Matthew 3:17), it would be another 2-3 years before he was crucified and then resurrected from the dead—accomplishing the mission that he’d been set apart by God to complete. 

The truth is that sometimes the anointing comes longs before the appointment. While we wait, it can be easy to become restless and even to despair. We might begin to wonder whether God has forgotten about his promise, worry that he’s changed his mind, or doubt that we ever even heard him in the first place. But when we look back at the way God has moved in Scripture and also 

examine what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about God’s actions and character, we can find solid footing to reassure our restless hearts while we stand in the interlude. 

Intersecting Faith & Life 

The stories of David’s and Jesus’ own periods of interlude (along with so many other biblical giants) supports the 3 following truths about God’s character and providence: 
 God does not rush. 

Isaiah 60:22 says, “I am the Lord; in its time I will hasten it.” David experienced incredible tumult in the years between his anointing and public appointing as the king of

Israel. There were likely times when he thought, “When will God make me king, already?” But God orchestrates the timing of events outside of our human demands. And though he often does not move as quickly as we would like him to move, when he does decide it’s time, he puts it into action with perfect precision. 
 God has had a plan from the beginning. 

God sees how everything will play out. While our purview is limited to what we can see, experience, and imagine of our own lives, God is able to see how all things work together—a complex system within a single organism. We see a hint of this when Jesus says to his pleading mother at the wedding in Cana, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). Although it was well within his power to turn water to wine, Jesus’ words imply that once this miracle occurred, a new string of interconnected events would be set into motion. 
 In the time between anointing and appointing, God is still at work. The in-between time is never wasted; while David waited to become publicly acknowledged as king, Saul’s power and influence began to crumble and David gathered more supporters. This had to happen before he sat on the throne of Israel. And between the time of Jesus’ baptism and crucifixion/resurrection, he taught the disciples, the Jews, and the Gentiles about himself, establishing leaders and acting as a catalyst for what would become the early church. This period of time was essential. 

As we meditate on God’s character in our own in-between seasons, we can also return to Paul’s words to the Corinthians, which remind us that God has not left us alone in the time between our anointing and what is to come. Rather, he says that God has “set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit…” (2 Corinthians 1:22). In other words, he has claimed us as his own, and he has put his own Spirit inside us as a down payment; this is our assurance that he has set us aside for good and that he intends to use us for good purposes, as well. He has linked himself to us in ways that cannot be revoked as a sign that he is good for his word. 

Knowing this, we can surrender ourselves to his work even in the interludes of our lives; though we may not understand the purpose of every season nor the length of time we’ll be asked to remain there, we can trust that he’s using these moments to prepare the appropriate circumstances for us to be able to fulfill whatever it is that he’s set apart for us since the beginning of time. 

Further Reading 
Genesis 12-21 
1 Samuel 16:1-13 
Acts 7:23-8:1

Ever felt like you were called&hellip; but stuck in a season of &ldquo;not yet&rdquo;? You&rsquo;re not alone. Whether it&rsquo;s King David or King Jesus, even God&rsquo;s greatest waited between their anointing and appointing. But take heart&mdash;your &ldquo;in-between&rdquo; is never wasted.
<hr data-start="338" data-end="341">
Key Takeaways
<ul data-start="368" data-end="853">
<li data-start="368" data-end="479">
You&rsquo;re Sealed and Claimed &ndash; God put His Spirit in you as a guarantee of what&rsquo;s to come (2 Cor 1:21-22).
</li>
<li data-start="480" data-end="596">
Anointed &ne; Immediately Appointed &ndash; David waited decades; Jesus waited years. Waiting doesn&rsquo;t mean forgotten.
</li>
<li data-start="597" data-end="716">
God Doesn&rsquo;t Rush &ndash; He moves in perfect timing (Isaiah 60:22). You&rsquo;re not behind schedule&mdash;you&rsquo;re being prepared.
</li>
<li data-start="717" data-end="853">
Your Wait Has a Purpose &ndash; David gathered strength and support; Jesus discipled and taught. Your delay is part of your development.
</li>
</ul>
<hr data-start="855" data-end="858">
Join the Conversation
How are you holding onto faith in your waiting season? What has God been refining in you while you wait? Share your reflections using #LifeaudioNetwork. And remember: if He&rsquo;s anointed you, He will appoint you&mdash;right on time.
🎙🎶&nbsp;SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW &mdash; <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/">Your Nightly Prayer</a>
🌟 Check out other Crosswalk Podcasts: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/crosswalk-talk-celebrity-christian-interviews/">Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews</a>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
Signed, Sealed, and Delivered&nbsp;
by Deidre Braley&nbsp;
2 Corinthians 1:21-22: Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.&nbsp;
Have you ever experienced the tension of knowing that God has set you apart for a certain role, calling, or assignment in your life&mdash;only to have to wait for an extended period of time for it to happen?&nbsp;
It can be confusing, frustrating, and even maddening to stand by while you wait for the moment when God will finally say, &ldquo;Now!&rdquo; But if you&rsquo;re currently in an in-between season such as this, know that you&rsquo;re in good company. In Scripture, we see multiple examples of people who were anointed by God for a specific purpose long before they were actually appointed to that role.&nbsp;
Two that immediately come to mind are King David and King Jesus.&nbsp;
David was first anointed to become king of Israel when he was just a teenager; the prophet Samuel set him apart for this work in private (1 Samuel 16:1-13) long before he would be publicly appointed king by the people of Israel in his thirties (2 Samuel 5:3).&nbsp;
And though Jesus was anointed by God when he was baptized by John (Matthew 3:17), it would be another 2-3 years before he was crucified and then resurrected from the dead&mdash;accomplishing the mission that he&rsquo;d been set apart by God to complete.&nbsp;
The truth is that sometimes the anointing comes longs before the appointment. While we wait, it can be easy to become restless and even to despair. We might begin to wonder whether God has forgotten about his promise, worry that he&rsquo;s changed his mind, or doubt that we ever even heard him in the first place. But when we look back at the way God has moved in Scripture and also&nbsp;
examine what the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians about God&rsquo;s actions and character, we can find solid footing to reassure our restless hearts while we stand in the interlude.&nbsp;
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life&nbsp;
The stories of David&rsquo;s and Jesus&rsquo; own periods of interlude (along with so many other biblical giants) supports the 3 following truths about God&rsquo;s character and providence:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li> God does not rush.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Isaiah 60:22 says, &ldquo;I am the Lord; in its time I will hasten it.&rdquo; David experienced incredible tumult in the years between his anointing and public appointing as the king of
Israel. There were likely times when he thought, &ldquo;When will God make me king, already?&rdquo; But God orchestrates the timing of events outside of our human demands. And though he often does not move as quickly as we would like him to move, when he does decide it&rsquo;s time, he puts it into action with perfect precision.&nbsp;
<ol>
<li> God has had a plan from the beginning.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
God sees how everything will play out. While our purview is limited to what we can see, experience, and imagine of our own lives, God is able to see how all things work together&mdash;a complex system within a single organism. We see a hint of this when Jesus says to his pleading mother at the wedding in Cana, &ldquo;My hour has not yet come&rdquo; (John 2:4). Although it was well within his power to turn water to wine, Jesus&rsquo; words imply that once this miracle occurred, a new string of interconnected events would be set into motion.&nbsp;
<ol>
<li> In the time between anointing and appointing, God is still at work. The in-between time is never wasted; while David waited to become publicly acknowledged as king, Saul&rsquo;s power and influence began to crumble and David gathered more supporters. This had to happen before he sat on the throne of Israel. And between the time of Jesus&rsquo; baptism and crucifixion/resurrection, he taught the disciples, the Jews, and the Gentiles about himself, establishing leaders and acting as a catalyst for what would become the early church. This period of time was essential.&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
As we meditate on God&rsquo;s character in our own in-between seasons, we can also return to Paul&rsquo;s words to the Corinthians, which remind us that God has not left us alone in the time between our anointing and what is to come. Rather, he says that God has &ldquo;set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit&hellip;&rdquo; (2 Corinthians 1:22). In other words, he has claimed us as his own, and he has put his own Spirit inside us as a down payment; this is our assurance that he has set us aside for good and that he intends to use us for good purposes, as well. He has linked himself to us in ways that cannot be revoked as a sign that he is good for his word.&nbsp;
Knowing this, we can surrender ourselves to his work even in the interludes of our lives; though we may not understand the purpose of every season nor the length of time we&rsquo;ll be asked to remain there, we can trust that he&rsquo;s using these moments to prepare the appropriate circumstances for us to be able to fulfill whatever it is that he&rsquo;s set apart for us since the beginning of time.&nbsp;
Further Reading&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Genesis 12-21&nbsp;</li>
<li>1 Samuel 16:1-13&nbsp;</li>
<li>Acts 7:23-8:1</li>
</ul>

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.

Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:

☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It)
☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment
☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life
☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life
☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church
☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer
☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation
☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year

If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.
Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:
☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It) ☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment ☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life ☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life ☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church ☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer ☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation ☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year
If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/">https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.</a>

7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life.

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