Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come WITHIN the DAYS APPOINTED…” – I Samuel 13:11
REFERENCE
I Samuel 13:1-2 & 5-15
One of the reasons the Scripture is given to us, according to II Timothy 3:16, is for correction and instruction in righteousness. In the past two episodes, we looked at Saul’s blunder in the matter of ‘Waiting on God.’ Today, we will continue with the same thought, so we can be instructed and not become victims of the same blunder as Saul’s.
Time was another factor that pressured Saul to act ‘foolishly.’ When he waited for the TIME APPOINTED for Samuel to come and Samuel wasn’t anywhere in sight, he ‘had’ to do what he wasn’t supposed to do… In the same way, we often think God should do something within a particular time frame in our lives, so we set a deadline for Him. When you put a time frame on your anticipated ‘blessing’ and it doesn’t happen in that period, discouragement and impatience can start creeping in. Once this happens, you will quit waiting and start searching for alternatives.
It is good to have faith, to plan and to set goals, but we must be open to let God have His way and His timing in our lives. We can’t put God in a box or give Him ultimatums. He does not work by our clock or calendar; He controls times and seasons. He knows what is best for us, and if the time isn’t right yet, no matter how much we grumble, whine or complain – because of His love for us – He won’t budge.
Saul’s last blunder from this story is the feeling he had that nothing was happening when something should be happening – something should be burning on the altar. He felt the Philistines would come down on him and he had ‘not made supplication to the Lord,’ so he had to do something. Most times, it is hard for us to handle the ‘not yet’ or the seeming delays of God. We think something must always be in motion, and we must not be seen to be doing nothing, so, we get tempted to make things happen in our own strength. This strategy didn’t work for Saul and it definitely won’t work for us.
Joseph knew that God gave him a dream; he must have felt distraught when he passed through all the trials and temptations at different stages in his life before that dream came to fruition – his brothers almost killed him, they sold him into slavery, his ordeal in Potiphar’s house, his time in prison, the waiting period before he was released, etc. Through it all, he never sought for an alternative; he waited on God till his dream came true. Hebrews 6:12 admonishes us to imitate those who through faith and patience inherited the promise of God for their lives.
In the next episode, we will look at how to “Succeed at Waiting.”
SCRIPTURE PHOTO
ADDITIONAL STUDY
Genesis 45:3-8, Ecclesiastes 3:1, & II Peter 3:8.
PRAYER
Lord, strengthen my faith and my ability to wait. “Teach me the discipline of patience, for to wait is often harder than to work.
Father thank you because you’re not constrained with time, you make everything Beautiful in your time.Help me to always remember that and wait, most importantly help me to whistle while I wait… Amen!!
Father I thank you for your word today. That you make all things beautiful in your time and everything is according to your purpose. Help me wait patiently for your appointed time, for it will SURELY come.
Amen!
Amen. Thank you Holy Spirit!
Inbetween purpose/dreams and its fulfillment is the bridge called Time.
#timebridge #thelonelyinbetween #graceto wait #faithgym
Father Lord you are the the greatest and no man can give you ultimatum but YOur time is always the best in our lives… gimme the grace to always wait, amen.
…Father have your way, Your timing is sure for me.
Amen!!!
Help me Lord with my impatience.
So as to enter my cannan land that flows with milk and honey.
Lord I seek for grace to wait patiently till the appointed time for your timing is perfect