Anyone Got a Cup of Patience?

O. T. #599 "Anyone Got a Cup of Patience?"
September 22, 2015
1 Samuel 13-Part 2
And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed but Samuel came not to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.  1 Samuel 13:8

LET IT GLOW

WAIT? Patience? Waiting is not my cup of tea. Anyone got a cup of patience that I can drink and wallah, I am a patient person? If it were available, think of the millions who would buy it and how expensive it would be. Patience is a virtue, a fruit of the Spirit. Saul was lacking in the patience department, too.

According to Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament there were three sins that cost King Saul his kingdom of Israel:

1. Impatience (chapter 13)
2. Pride (chapter 14)
3. Disobedience (chapter 15).

Shall we take a look at his impatience first? Months earlier(10:8) Samuel had instructed Saul to go to Gilgal and wait for him to come make the burnt offerings to the Lord (7 days). However, the Philistine army was gathering together. Saul thought the longer he waited on the Prophet Samuel to come, the more dangerous the situation became for Israel. A delay allowed the Philistines to become stronger. You recall in verse 6 that some Israelis became terrified, left and hid when they saw what a mighty army the Philistines had. Why did they forget that God was on their side? Who should have  assured them that God cannot be defeated? No one did.

As you face problems and temptations, focus your attention on God and His resources, trusting Him to help you (Romans 8:31-37)  Life Application Study Bible

Do we panic at the sight of the opposition? Are we impatient when it comes to waiting on our prayers to be answered?


LET IT GROW

Saul thought he couldn't wait any longer on the Prophet Samuel to come offer the burnt offering to the Lord so He would give them victory. His men were frightened and deserted. Saul took matters into his own hands and disobeyed God. He called for the Ark of the Covenant and made the sacrifice. Saul was not a priest. This was not acceptable to God. It was against God's laws (Deut. 12:5-14).
Saul was doing a good thing, but he did it in the wrong way. Under pressure, our true character comes out, like Saul's did.
Aren't our methods we use to accomplish our goals just as important as the actual attaining of those goals? Are we honest, not walking on others or using others for our gain?

Was time really running out for Saul? He had difficulty in trusting God's timing, didn't he? It wasn't the ritual of the offering that pleased God, but the faith in God while performing the ritual. Remember, God looks upon the heart. It's faith and obedience which God is looking for in us.
When we face a difficult situation or decision, don't allow impatience to drive us to disobey God. Don't run ahead and do it our self. We may make a mess of things. Often times God uses delays to test our obedience and patience.

Anther thing, if God could not trust Saul in this little matter, how could He trust Saul with the whole nation?

Saul reacted disobediently based upon what he saw, not by faith. He feared losing his men and did not properly consider what God wanted him to do. (MacArthur)

LET IT GO

Wait, wait, wait.

Obey God while waiting on His answer.

Then do it His way when the answer comes.