“‘You have done a foolish thing,’ Samuel said. ‘You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.'” — 1 Samuel 13:13-14
Have you ever been penalized for being offside or for committing a false start? Sometimes it’s hard to wait for the perfect timing. Unfortunately, not waiting comes with consequences. We may think it is only a minor infraction, no big deal. But not waiting can make all the difference between success and failure. Just ask King Saul.
Involved in a fierce battle with the Philistines, Saul was instructed to wait for Samuel to offer sacrifices to the Lord. As the battle raged on, Saul got desperate. Samuel had been delayed. Something had to be done, so Saul chose not to wait. He offered the sacrifices himself. The results were devastating.
When Samuel arrived, he told Saul he had been foolish not to obey God’s command to wait. Had he waited, the Lord would have established his kingdom over Israel forever. Instead, someone else would take his place. Saul’s unwillingness to wait led to an enormous loss.
Why does God put so much importance on us waiting for His timing? When we wait, we affirm our trust in Him. The process of waiting builds character qualities like humility, patience and courage into our lives. Waiting positions us to experience God’s best for us. It prevents us from forfeiting God’s blessings in our lives.
The next time you are tempted to take things into your own hands and not wait on God, remember Saul. Do not make the same mistake he did. Instead, wait on the Lord. Trust His timing.
— Karen Zando, NWSL’s Orlando Pride chaplain
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