Strictly Follow God

1 Samuel 13:8-14

8 He waited seven days, the time appointed by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, "Bring the burnt offering here to me, and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he had finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came. And Saul went out to meet him and greet him. 11 Samuel said, "What have you done?" And Saul said, "When I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines had mustered at Michmash, 12 I said, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the LORD.' So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering." 13 And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the LORD your God, with which he commanded you. For then the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."

In a very time-constraint situation of our lives, we may face a similar challenge as what King Saul face while waiting for Prophet Samuel to come after seven days of waiting and do the offering for the Lord as what the Lord has commanded him. The sense of urgency is there for King Saul and his army as they are in the midst of an upcoming great battle with the Philistine.

The waiting will no longer adds to the confidence of people trusting the leadership of Saul, and this situation is also affecting his people and forcing him to do it right away. There is a great pressure pressing him which in my own understanding will somehow to make me do the same which King Saul can definitely do as well. But this can lead to sinning against God.

In our relationship with God and in reference to the authority of truth, the Bible; we should abide in what God says and what was documented for us to believe and have faith. But if the bible is silent, we should also be silent. In King Saul’s situation, he has a clear instruction to wait for Prophet Samuel but he failed to wait patiently which lead him to sinning against God.

The worst is, that he is loosing what God has originally given to him, his kingship, which to be passed on to the one who is after God’s own heart. We know that such person is no other than King David.

As we have started this day to open for the whole week, let us consider to reflect in what God is telling us to do. Let us heed His voice and try to revisit His exact words for us. What is His clear instruction for us to follow? Are we doing it in our own ways, or simply in God’s way?

"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God.” -John 14:1a

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