Scripture
Meanwhile, Saul stayed at Gilgal, and his men were trembling with fear. 8Saul waited there seven days for Samuel, as Samuel had instructed him earlier, but Samuel still didn’t come. Saul realized that his troops were rapidly slipping away. 9So he demanded, “Bring me the burnt offering and the peace offerings!” And Saul sacrificed the burnt offering himself. 10Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” 1 Samuel 13:8-10
Observation
This was the beginning of the end for King Saul. He was King, but he wasn’t priest. In pride and presumption he stepped into a role God had not appointed or anointed him for. The thing is, I understand his reasoning. Any leader worth their salt understands the importance of momentum and the danger of losing it. The problem is when we want man-made momentum over the timing and move of God. Saul saw his troops were afraid and scattering and felt he needed to take matters in his own hands. Who was leading who in this situation? He was being led by worry instead of worshipping in the waiting. He said he needed to ask God for his blessing, but was really treating the sacrificial offerings as a good luck charm or talisman. He wanted God’s promise of victory on his terms and time table. In response Samuel gives us a peak at a future that would never come to pass: “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. (1 Sam 13:13). How often do we trade away God’s preferred future because we refuse to wait on God’s perfect timing?
Application
A.W. Tozer once said, “God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which he must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.” I hate to wait. Whether it’s call-waiting for “the next available representative”, standing in the Costco line while someone tries to find their checkbook in their giant purse, or waiting for someone I’ve prayed for to be healed, I’m not good at waiting. Yet, last night at House Youth I saw the beauty of waiting on God’s timing. When our youth pastor left the church 2 years ago after my first Easter as pastor of TFH I had no idea how long it would be before we found a new one. I was too old to be a youth pastor, right? I was pastoring the church and couldn’t give it the attention our youth so deserved. Yet, every time I’d wan to rush to “solve the problem” the Lord would tell me to wait, build a team, and worship Him until the right leader came along. Two years later exactly, Camille Henson gave her first message as the new youth pastor of House Youth and I had such a peace knowing this what God had in mind the whole time. After many years I’ve finally come to understand that when God has us waiting on Him, when it feels like a needless delay, it’s punitive, but rather a preparation of the heart. There’s a difference between waiting on circumstances and situations and waiting on the Savior. The first is about results the second is about relationship. The first is about testing the timing and the second is about trusting His timing. The first is figuring it out in the head and the second is finding peace for the heart. After youth group Camille prayed in the parking lot with a group of youth who were grieving the loss of their friend who had committed suicide almost a year ago. Last night was his Birthday and their hearts were torn. Camille stepped in with the comfort and care of a shepherd as she prayed with them. This was a moment two years in the making and was well worth the wait.
Prayer
Lord, forgive me pulling a King Saul so many times. Forgive me for the pride and presumption of substituting man-made momentum for the moving of Your presence. Thank you for the amazing team of leaders that You brought around me these past two years that have laid their lives down for our youth. Thank you for Camille Henson and her willingness to take this step of faith. I’m so excited to see what You’re doing and will continue do in the lives of our young people. I pray that you would help all of us parents to not get impatient or give up on the young people in our lives. Your plans will come to pass in Your timing and not ours.
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