In an act of impatience, a man in San Francisco, California, tried to
beat traffic by swerving around a lane of cars that had come to a stop.
However, the lane he pulled into had just been laid with fresh cement, and his
Porsche 911 got stuck. This driver paid a high price for his impatience.
The Scriptures tell of a king who also paid a high price for his
impatience. Eager for God to bless the Israelites in their battle against the
Philistines, Saul acted impatiently. When Samuel did not arrive at the
appointed time to offer a sacrifice for God’s favor, Saul became impatient and
disobeyed God’s command (1 Sam. 13:8-9,13). Impatience led Saul to think he was
above the law and to take on an unauthorized position of priest. He thought he
could disobey God without serious consequences. He was wrong.
When Samuel arrived, he rebuked Saul for his disobedience and prophesied
that Saul would lose the kingdom (vv.13-14). Saul’s refusal to wait for the
development of God’s plan caused him to act in haste, and in his haste he lost
his way (see Prov. 19:2). His impatience was the ultimate display of a lack of
faith.
The Lord will provide His guiding presence as we wait patiently for Him
to bring about His will.
Patience means awaiting God’s time and trusting God’s love. (RBC)
