1 Samuel 13 Devotional

When Waiting Feels Too Long

“But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler over His people, because you have not kept the command of the LORD.””1 Samuel 13:14 (BSB)

Saul has been told to wait seven days at Gilgal for Samuel to come and offer the sacrifices (10:8). A huge Philistine army gathers, Israel's men hide in caves and cisterns, and the troops begin to slip away (13:6-8). When the time is up and Samuel has not come, Saul offers the burnt offering himself. Just as he finishes, Samuel appears.

Saul's explanation sounds almost devout. He says he could not face battle without seeking the LORD's favor, so he felt forced to act (13:12). But the issue is not whether he prayed. It is that he did not keep the command the LORD had given him (13:13). Under pressure, Saul trusted himself more than God's word. The consequence is severe: his kingdom will not last, and the LORD has already sought out another ruler of his own choosing (13:14). Paul names that man as David (Acts 13:22). Waiting on God can feel like doing nothing. But obedience in the waiting is itself trust, and the outcome was always in God's hands.

To think about: Where are you tempted to take matters into your own hands instead of waiting on what God has said?