This spring, my two-year-old enjoyed picking mulberries from some trees on my parents’ farm. Soon, his fingers were purple, and he had a dark smear around the corners of his mouth from the juicy, mildly sweet fruit.

In the Old Testament, mulberry trees served a much different purpose than filling a little boy’s belly. They become God’s sign for King David to make his next move against the Philistines.

Why mulberry trees? And what can we learn from this story about waiting on God before moving forward with our plans? The steps David took can inform our own waiting experiences.

Step 1: Seek God.

The Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart (I Samuel 13:14), but we all know David wasn’t perfect. He made poor choices regarding women but wise choices about his battles. The difference? He sought God’s will for one and not the other.

Second Samuel 5:13 records, “And David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he had come from Hebron” (NKJV). Nowhere does this verse mention David asking God, “Should I marry more women?” He probably knew God’s answer would be a hard no, so instead, David did what seemed right to him and later suffered the consequences.

David sought God before starting his battles, and God assured him of victory.

However, in the matter of fighting against the Philistines, David got his priorities right. “So David inquired of the Lord, saying, ‘Shall I go up against the Philistines? Will You deliver them into my hand?’ And the Lord said to David, ‘Go up, for I will doubtless deliver the Philistines into your hand’” (2 Samuel 5:19). David sought God before starting his battles, and God assured him of victory.

Whenever we make a decision, our default first step should be seeking God before taking action.

Step 2: Seek God Some More.

Seeking God some more should also be our default second step. Once again, David found himself facing the Philistines in another battle. David did not just assume that since God had granted him victory before, He would grant it again. Instead, David asked God about this instance too (2 Samuel 5:23).

This time, God’s answer was different.

Pause on that thought. How often do we expect God to work the same way twice? Right when I needed it, God provided my job at an online academy without me even looking for it. However, do I assume that He will always rain down an easy solution for my needs? No. Sometimes, God uses challenges to grow our dependence on Him.

In David’s case, God did assure him of a second victory, but His battle plan was anything but conventional. “You shall not go up; circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it shall be, when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly. For then the Lord will go out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines” (2 Samuel 5:23-24).

Step 3: Trust and Obey

Why mulberry trees? Perhaps the better question is, why not? God can use anything to accomplish His purposes. The real issue is our hearts. Will we respond in trusting obedience regardless of what God asks?

One of my mulberry-tree moments came in the vice-president of marketing’s office. My boss at this company said that with my track record, I could be a vice-president one day too. Right then, I knew I needed to move. My goal wasn’t to climb the corporate ladder but to be used by God to touch lives. (I do believe God calls Christians to serve Him in secular vocations, but in this situation, God was asking me to leave corporate America to teach.)

I won’t say that education has been an easy road. A few years into teaching, I took a break because of burnout. All along, though, God was preparing me for a role in an online Christian school environment that I couldn’t imagine at the time.

Our mulberry-tree moments likely look different. The key is what we do with them. Do we listen to God, even if His instructions sound crazy?

Our mulberry-tree moments likely look different. The key is what we do with them. Do we listen to God, even if His instructions sound crazy?

That’s what David did. When God said to wait for “the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees” (2 Samuel 5:24), he waited. As a result, God once more gave him victory over his enemies.

How is God asking you to wait today? Instead of rushing ahead with a plan that makes sense to you, will you ask God to reveal when you should move?