One of the most difficult tasks a believer encounters is waiting on God. Our experience, knowledge and impatience seem to get in the way of waiting on God.  Of course, we are not the only generation that has that problem.King Saul had a similar problem prior to encountering a major battle against the Philistines.  The Israelites were out manned, had inferior weapons and were relatively inexperienced.  They needed God’s instructions on how to do battle against the enemy. Per God’s instructions, Samuel told Saul to wait on him at Gilgal on his arrival before going into battle. Samuel would be there in seven days to make the necessary sacrifices prior to the battle.When the morning of the seventh day came, Samuel had not arrived. Saul panicked, his soldiers began to scatter and Saul didn’t have the Lord’s direction for battle.  Saul could have stood his ground and said, “even if Samuel doesn’t show up until days later, I am going to trust God’s Word and wait until I hear from the Lord.” But he didn’t, he took matters into his own hands.We learn from 1 Samuel 13 that Saul took matters into his own hands, and ordered the on-site priest to make sacrifices without Samuel.   In doing so, he sinned against the Lord and committed a grievous sin.  This failure to wait on God cost him his kingdom.

Samuel did show up on the seventh day, just as he promised. It may have been late in the day, but he arrived on God’s timetable.   Saul’s impatience cost him his throne. Samuel said, “Your kingdom shall not endure…God has sought out for Himself a man after his own heart.”

Saul faced a crisis, a pivotal moment in his life.  His decision to “not wait on God” changed his potential and even altered his destiny.  From that moment on his life was filled with trouble, personal tragedy and eventually suicide.

It’s a time of crisis for us when we are forced to decide whether we will wait on God by faith, or get impatient and take matters into our own hands.

God’s character is the same today as it was in the time of Saul. He’s never too late or too early, He is always on time, regardless of how dire the circumstances may appear.    It doesn’t matter if things seem out of control; we are to walk in total confidence in His ability to deliver us.   It’s a matter of walking and living by FAITH.   

Yes, it’s difficult to learn to wait on God, it’s a lifelong lesson.  We must go through seasons of crying out to God and then experience the pain of waiting on Him to deliver us.  But the rewards and blessings of waiting on God far out weigh the pain of taking things into our own hands.  We must learn to experience the pain of discipline by waiting on God, or we will experience the pain of regret.  In the end the pain of discipline weighs ounces but the pain of regret weights tons.
“But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings of eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” Isaiah 40:31.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; lean not on unto your own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

He is risen indeed!  Have a blessed Easter