Waiting for direction

Saul gave God a delay ! He did not declare it, but in his heart Saul decided that if a word from above did not come a while, he would do whatever was necessary to save the situation.

"And Saul waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him : and Saul said : Bring me a burnt offering and peace offerings, and offer the burnt offering" (1 Samuel 13: 8-9).

Impatiently, Saul advanced, acting as a priest to make the sacrifice. Little did he know that Samuel was just around the corner. When the prophet arrived, he felt the sacrifice that Saul had offered and became enraged at the sinful impatience of the king.

I am convinced that Samuel was delayed because God clearly told him exactly when to arrive. You see, it was a test to see if Saul believed that God could trust.

God orchestrated all this because he wanted to give Saul a testimony of a humble dependence on him in all things, especially in a dark crisis. But Saul failed the test. He looked at the aggravating conditions and decided that something had to be done.

Can you imagine yourself in Saul's situation ? I hear him reasoning to himself : "I can no longer take this indecision, God sent me to do his work and I am ready to die for his cause." But do I really sit here doing nothing If I do not act, everything will go out of control." Saul felt an urgent need to act immediately in the situation. And finally, his impatience overwhelmed him.

This is where we sometimes fail in our walk with the Lord. At times we did not wait for direction and took things into our own hands because we do not like to be uncertain and anxious. But the Lord seeks total dependence. This involves trusting it to make the right choice in our own way. And this means waiting patiently for him not to be anxious, but in a spirit of rest.

David Wilkerson