Samuel said, “What on earth are you doing?” Saul answered, “When I saw I was losing my army from under me, and that you hadn’t come when you said you would, and that the Philistines were poised at Micmash, I said, ‘The Philistines are about to come down on me in Gilgal, and I haven’t yet come before God asking for his help.’ So I took things into my own hands, and sacrificed the burnt offering.”’
(1 Samuel 13:11-12 MSG)
Israel’s first king had a problem. He was impatient. As a result, he took matters into his own hands. When the prophet Samuel didn’t show up when he was expected to and Israel’s army was beginning to lose heart before the Philistines, Saul decided that it was his job to offer a sacrifice to God, a mistake that cost him his kingdom.
“That was a fool thing to do,” Samuel said to Saul. If you had kept the appointment that your God commanded, by now God would have set a firm and lasting foundation under your kingly rule over Israel. As it is, your kingly rule is already falling to pieces. God is out looking for your replacement right now. This time he’ll do the choosing. When he finds him, he’ll appoint him leader of his people. And all because you didn’t keep your appointment with God!” (1 Samuel 13:13-14)
I love the way The Message Bible puts it, “you didn’t keep your appointment with God.” I believe that God always keeps His appointment with us, but do we keep ours with Him? When He doesn’t show up at the time we’ve set, we lose faith and take matters into our own hands, making them even worse. But it’s during the seasons of waiting that God is looking to see if we’re willing to wait for Him to go to work on our behalf. Don’t be like Saul. Keep your appointment with God. He will show up.
God has perfect timing; never early, never late. It takes a little patience and it takes a lot of faith but it’s worth the wait. -Unknown
Rising with the Son 