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.
