May 20, 2010, 11:43 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Unbelief and
impatience
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference: 1Sam.
13:5-9
Message of the verses: “5 Now
the Philistines assembled to fight with Israel, 30,000 chariots and 6,000
horsemen, and people like the sand which is on the seashore in abundance; and
they came up and camped in Michmash, east of Beth-aven. 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in
a strait (for the people were hard-pressed), then the people hid themselves in
caves, in thickets, in cliffs, in cellars, and in pits. 7 Also some of the Hebrews crossed the Jordan
into the land of Gad and Gilead. But as for Saul, he was still in Gilgal, and
all the people followed him trembling.
“8 ¶
Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel,
but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him.
9 So Saul said, "Bring to me the
burnt offering and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt
offering.”
This is the second
sub-section in the section entitled “A kings irresponsibility,” and the verses
in today’s SD surely show the unbelief and impatience of this new king. Back in chapter ten Samuel had told Saul that
he had to wait for seven days, and even thought this was some two years earlier
it can be sure that Samuel had given Saul reminders.
Patience is one thing that the Lord teaches all of His
children, and faith goes along with patience, Hebrews 6:11-12, “11 And we desire that each one of you show the
same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
12 so that you will not be sluggish, but
imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” James writes in James1:1-8 that unbelief and
impatience are marks of spiritual immaturity.
“1 ¶ James, a bond-servant of God
and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad:
Greetings.
“2 ¶
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith
produces endurance. 4 And let endurance
have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in
nothing. 5 But if any of you lacks
wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach,
and it will be given to him. 6 But he
must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf
of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7
For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the
Lord, 8 being a double-minded man,
unstable in all his ways.”
Dr. Wiersbe writes, “Until we learn to trust God and wait
on His timing, we can’t learn the other lessons He wants to teach us, nor can
we receive the blessings He’s planned for us.”
Samuel comes on the scene just a few minutes after the
unbelieving and impatient Saul offers a sacrifice to the Lord, which was not at
all his job to do, and probably did it without good motives, something like
when the Ark of God was taken into battle with the children of Israel, kind of
like a good luck charm. This act of
impatience will cost Saul dearly, for latter on Samuel will be told that the
Lord seeks obedience rather than sacrifice.
“ Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”
Spiritual meaning for my life today: I believe that one of the things that the
Lord has been teaching me through the time that I have been His child is
patience, and although I am a lot more patient that when I first became a
believe I still have a lot to learn when it come to patience, and waiting on
the Lord. I am thankful for the progress
in both the patience and faith, but pray that I will continue to learn more on
these virtues.
My Steps of Faith for
Today:
1. Continue to
trust the Lord in all the ways of life, especially when it comes to the
problems that are going on at our church.
This is truly a mystery to me and I pray that I will continue to trust
the Lord to work this out.
May 20, 2010, 12:10 PM
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