Title: Second Guessing God/Topic: Obedience

PLEASE EXCUSE MY ABSENCE IN POSTING FOR THE LAST SEVERAL DAYS. i WAS OUT OF TOWN AND DID NOT HAVE MY COMPUTER WITH ME. THANKS FOR UNDERSTANDING.

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 13; 1 Chronicles 2; 1 Chronicles 3; 2 Corinthians 12

Scripture: 1 Samuel 13:7-11
Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. 8 He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul's men began to scatter. 9 So he said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings. [e] " And Saul offered up the burnt offering. 10 Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
11 "What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, 12 I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."

Observation: When God has given clear instructions and promises and then things don''t go well, it's easy to let fear or doubt get the best of us and take matters into our own hands. Saul did just that. He worked out his own solution to the problem he was facing. He got impatient and didn't wait for God to do as he said he would do. He even justified his disobedience with a spiritual sounding reason when Samuel confronted him with his foolishness.

Application: Faith is demonstrated when I hang on to what God has told me through his Word and the confirmation of other leaders and the Holy Spirit. When I have such confirmation I need to obey and wait for God to act. To act on my own is guaranteed to create problems. And those problems can have long-lasting ramifications (remember Sarah not waiting for God to give her an heir and the subsequent birth of Ishmael as a result. The results are still being felt in the animosity between the Arabs and the Jews).

Prayer: Help me to be patient, Lord, and to wait for you to act in your time. I don't want to be guilty of creating my own solution and having to live with the results. May I always be faithful to you.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.