Waiting on God

Waiting is hard. Take Saul for instance. He kept time, and when the time was up so was Saul.

The Philistines had gathered to fight against Israel, and there were so many of them the Israelites were leaving in bunches. So Saul waited seven days for Samuel, but when Samuel didn’t come at the appointed time he went ahead and offered a burnt offering, something he shouldn’t have done.

As soon as he did, Samuel came and told him he was foolish, therefore the Lord would not establish his kingdom, but was now looking for someone whose heart was completely for Him.

“You have done foolishly … The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

Instead of focusing on God’s promises Saul focused on what was going on around him. Instead of realizing God can win with a few, which was part of Jewish history 101, the life of Gideon, Saul panicked thinking numbers are what brings victory.
So rather than waiting on God he moved forward and disastrous consequences followed.

It’s hard to wait upon the Lord. When trouble comes we feel like we’ve to come up with solutions, rather than waiting on God’s answer. When we do we’re making ourselves into our own gods, believing in our own abilities rather than on God’s promises.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:28-31)