Trust God's Resources And Timing

1 Samuel 13:10-14 -   Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.  "What have you done?" asked Samuel. Saul replied, "When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash,  I thought, 'Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD's favor.' So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering."  "You acted foolishly," 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 leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD's command."

 

Saul had only been king for about a year when he began to concentrate his efforts on the military.  He selected only 3,000 men…the best of what Israel had to offer…and sent the rest home.  His son Jonathan took 1,000 of them one day to attack the Philistines outpost in Geba…and Saul took credit for it…then joined Jonathan with the other 2000 men.  It would have been a great first wave of battle…except that the Philistines produced an army of chariots and horsemen that was three times the size of Israel’s band of men. And they had so many foot soldiers the Bible said they were ‘uncountable.’

 

The Israelites cowered in fear at the sight of them….many running to any hiding place available… until Saul had only a mere 600 men left in his army.  Samuel was on his way…to meet Saul…to offer sacrifices…to pray for God’s direction…but Saul grew restless and offered the sacrifices without him….in hopes that his 600 men would not scatter as well.  Samuel showed up…just as he promised…as the last burnt offering was presented to God….and rebuked Saul for his disobedience and irreverence to the God who set down specific rules for such things. Samuel must have been talking to God on the way there too…for he chose this moment to pass down some pretty harsh words from God ..that foretold the coming of a king that would be after God’s own heart…and replace Saul as king.

 

As I read the commentary in my Life Application Bible….I hung on the words…trust God’s resources. The comment came complete with a reference to Romans 8…. A great chapter written to remind us that if God has called us to do something…he has already equipped us with all that we need to succeed. The problem in this story…was Saul never ask God if he were to have a ‘select’ army…in fact…I can’t find any reference that Sal ever prayed for direction at all.  He just decided what he thought was best in that moment…without ne thought to what God wanted him to do. 

 

Waiting on God’s leadership is hard…I admit that readily….and have 54 years of experience at running ahead of his plans for me.  I also share Saul’s lack of confidence in God’s resources….not trusting the great provisions he made have placed ahead of me to do his work.  I should know better…for I can testify as well to many times that God has blessed me with all that I need to live…like the house...furniture … and linens I needed after the divorce.   That was a great period of trust…when I grew more in the ways of God than I ever knew was possible.  I began to understand that God was not there for me…I was there for him…and as long as I sought him and his direction for my life…everything I needed to complete his work… would be provided...in his time.

 

Timing is the other issue I struggle with…God’s time is never what we predict in our fleshy human heart.  We want fast answers…just like Saul did when he offered those sacrifices by himself.  God had given him everything he needed to be a king for all time…but his selfishness and disobedience caused God to seek out another king.   It was a small boy….a humble shepherd…who God was training to be the next king.  I get to read his story soon…but I remember enough about him to know that God has some great training to do with this child.  He needed to teach him how to shepherd a whole flock…not select the best of his army.  He needed to teach him how to fight with just a small stone….so he can face all the giants that will appear to threaten his people.  He needed to teach him that loyalty to a good friend goes far beyond the bonds of blood.  It will take God 41 more years to get David ready.

 

Unlike Saul…who feared his future and never understood the resources God had placed in his path to help him… we have the great verses of Romans 8:37-39 to remind us of God’s promise to make us more than conquerors…. “ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,  neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Paul knew that our success in life is linked to our trust is God…we conquer all our weaknesses and fights with evil…only if we keep our relationship with God the most important thing in our lives. 

 

Father…I thank you for the provisions you have made for me the last 54 years of life….and forgive me for all the blessings and provisions I missed because I jumped ahead of you…or did not trust you fully to take care of me.  Help me to trust you for everything I need from this moment forward …and seek your direction in my life…and wait on your timing…so you can train me like your great servant David.  Amen.