The holiday malls are full of sales. Have you driven across town to purchase an item only to see it advertised the next day at your local mall or on-line at a lower price? If you had waited one more day, you could have saved yourself a substantial amount of trouble.
King Saul was not a patient man. The armies of the Philistines and the army of Israel were facing off. Vastly outnumbered, the terrified army of Israel hid in caves, cisterns, rocks and even tombs. The priest Samuel had told Saul to wait for a week at which time Samuel would join him in a sacrifice to the Lord before the battle.
On the seventh day, however, Samuel had not yet appeared. Saul feared his soldiers would desert him if they had to wait indefinitely, so he went ahead and offered a burnt sacrifice himself.
Just as Saul was finishing the sacrifice on that seventh day, Samuel appeared. “What have you done?” he asked. “Because you disobeyed God’s command, your reign as king must end. The Lord has already chosen someone else to take your place.” You will find the rest of the story in 1 Samuel 13. If Saul had waited only a few more hours, that story might have turned out very differently.
If God tells us clearly to wait and we opt to plunge ahead instead, we rebel against His authority. What does impatience reveal about your attitude toward God? What costly consequences might ensue if you do not wait?
