Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

QT 2 Oct 13, Waiting upon God is hard

1 Sam 13:7b-13a (ESV) Saul, however, was still at Gilgal, and all his troops were gripped with fear. 8 He waited seven days for the appointed time that Samuel had set, but Samuel didn't come to Gilgal, and the troops were deserting him. 9 So Saul said, "Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings." Then he offered the burnt offering.

10 Just as he finished offering the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. So Saul went out to greet him, 11 and Samuel asked, "What have you done?"

Saul answered, "When I saw that the troops were deserting me and you didn't come within the appointed days and the Philistines were gathering at Michmash, 12 I thought: The Philistines will now descend on me at Gilgal, and I haven't sought the Lord's favor. So I forced myself to offer the burnt offering."

13 Samuel said to Saul, "You have been foolish. You have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you.

NOTE: At first blush, it might appear that Saul did what was right. The problem was that he did not wait the full seven days. He started the sacrifice while they were still within the seventh day. That is confirmed by Samuel's words "… you have not kept the command which the Lord your God gave you." Apparently, God used the opportunity to test Saul. Yes, it did look bleak; yes, the troops were deserting; yes; Samuel had still not arrived and it was the seventh day. It went to the limit because it was a test. Would Saul trust God even when things were falling apart all around him?

Saul was given a fairly specific instruction. Often, we are not given such specificity in our own walk with God. How long do we wait? What is prudent action versus getting your sticky fingers involved? What is trust and what is my role in making something happen? In my current job situation, it is easy to wonder and struggle with my role. I'm not sure what it means to "wait upon the Lord." It is frustrating. But it might also be a test in much the same way as God tested Saul. God give me strength to hang on and to see you work your perfect will.
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