Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me… and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal…’” – I Samuel 13:11-12
REFERENCE
I Samuel 13:1-2 & 5-15
Yesterday we examined Saul’s life and mentioned some of the factors that contributed to his impatience with Samuel. In addition to these factors, another reason Saul erred was because of people pressure. When he saw that the people scattered from him, he must have felt compelled to act. They may have made comments like, “Why must you take this?”, “Why can’t you just go ahead, after all you are the king?” and “We can’t keep waiting for you!”
People pressure is another factor that can make us become impatient with our situation and take the bait not to wait. Probably this was what happened to Mrs. Sarah Abraham. Sarah was barren but there were women with children all around her! Maybe people mocked her and that put pressure on her not to wait any longer for God’s promised child. So she put pressure on Abraham to sleep with her maid, which resulted in the birth of Ishmael. The cost of her impatience is still plaguing the world today.
In Job 2:9, Job’s wife asked him, “Are you still maintaining your faithfulness to God even in this your deplorable state? Why not curse God and die?” Likewise, people will say all kinds of things to you in your in-between season. They will brand you, ‘stupid,’ for living on a meagre income when you could have taken bribes in your office that would have given you and your family a better quality of life. They will abuse you for struggling financially as a gospel artist when others have since jumped ship into the more popular secular genre of music. They will tell you things like, “Stop playing the church girl, your biological clock is ticking and soon you will be unable to have children; so why not just settle down and marry any man that comes your way regardless of whether he is a believer or not, etc.”
As believers, we cannot let people’s comments put us under pressure to take the wrong turns in life no matter how long we wait; rather like Job, we should be able to say, “…all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.” (Job: 14:14).
SCRIPTURE PHOTO
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Genesis 16:1-4, Psalm 130:5, & Romans 12:2.
PRAYER
I break every yoke of undue pressure I put myself under or allowed myself to be put under. Lord, I pray You deliver me from people pressure. Let my eyes be single, focused on Your faithfulness; and let my heart only believe the report of the Lord at all times in Jesus’ name.
Dearest heavenly Father,
You know how much pressure I am currently under thinking how far ahead my peers are.
Help me to wait and trust your promises. May every decision I take be based on your direction and not under people pressure. While I wait, I shall find joy in your love and goodness in Jesus name. Amen
Faithful father, give me patience and more patience to wait for you. Knowing that you who promised is faithful to the end.
I refuse to be pressurized into making hasty decisions and choices, Help me wait for you time which is always the best.
I hope that I listen for the voice of God only and not of others. I really pray for a discerning spirit. I also would not want to subconsciously be the one who pressures others. Amen.
The voice of a stranger I will not hear. Amen
Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking. Then you will be able to understand and accept what God wants for you. You will be able to know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.
Rom. 12:2 ERV
The more transformed we are in our thinking, the more we are able to resist the “people pressure”
#transformed #liberated #faithgym
I receive the grace to wait. I receive the strength to recognise & resist people pressure, no matter where its coming from. My eyes remain single. Focused only on God & His promises. I receive the help of The Holy Spirit for times when it seems so hard. Amen.
All the days of my appointed time…..I Missybee will wait until God fulfill that which is written concerning me. #Nopeoplepressure #YesGodleading
Father help me
Lord, I beg you to please forgive me for not been patient… I am now paying for the consequences of my lack of patience….. Lord please forgive me..
Amen! God’s mercy is abundant. The bible says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” He will turn everything around for your good.