July 27 – When God Tarries (1 Samuel 13:5-15)

“I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me. . .’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
(1 Samuel 13:12)

IN WORD:
Saul was vastly outmanned and out-armed, surrounded by vengeful Philistines. He waited for Samuel to come and make the offerings that would secure the Lord’s favor. But Samuel tarried. We don’t know why; we just know that the longer he delayed, the more desperate Saul became. The moment Samuel was officially late, Saul acted. He made the offering himself. He wasn’t a priest and had no authority; but someone had to do it. Israel was at stake.
Have you ever prayed desperately for God’s help, only to see the deadline pass with no reply? God sometimes tests us this way. Providence is slow in coming and we take matters into our own hands. We don’t mean to be disobedient; we just assume God hasn’t answered our prayers and wants us to help ourselves. He doesn’t. He’s waiting to see what’s more important to us: our obedience or our survival.
Would God really give us that difficult a test? Just ask Abraham, Esther, or Peter. And don’t forget Saul. Our obedience will be tested, usually in smaller degrees. But it always comes down to this: When things are really desperate, when our whole lives seem to depend on the next step, what will we do? Take it upon ourselves to intervene or continue to trust God?

IN DEED:
Life is filled with these little acts of impatience. We pray, but we don’t wait long enough for the answer. Like Samuel, God tarries too long. Our deadlines pass — not God’s, just ours. We think He has left us out to dry, that perhaps our prayers were not on target enough. But it’s our timetable that is not on target. The Bible is abundant and emphatic in its commands four us to “wait on God.”
Saul’s impatience cost him his throne. Like him, we don’t live in a waiting society. But God’s Kingdom is exactly that. He will try us to see how long we wait for Him. Hang on to faith; the answer will come, and it’s never too late.

“Patience is the companion of wisdom.” -St. Augustine-