When You’re Rushed…Don’t!

“Saul waited seven days but Samuel did not come.” 1 Samuel 13:8

Photo: Renae Bowman

It seems like decision-making has befallen my household. Not the little decisions that make up day-to-day stuff, but the big ones. Things to do with say… jobs, and homes, and moving, and money, and uhhhh…the list seems too big! It seems to be growing by the day! As do our prayers now!

And I’m waiting for Him to answer.
And I’m waiting.
And waiting.
And waiting.

Everything in me wants to make quick decisions, with a brushing of my hands to free the crumbs of details, to put it all to bed knowing I handled it. But that’s not a God thing. Rushing is not from God! It’s not how He operates. It’s not how He wants us to operate! It’s just not. To our disliking, He works in the slow lane of life; or at least the way we see it as slow. He does everything on His timing, at His pace, and with the big picture in mind. He asks us to do the same.

That is why our key verse has an importance. It’s an odd verse, but it’s a lesson for all of us who are sitting in the wait of spoken prayers over big decisions.

Samuel was a prophet. Samuel annoited Saul. Saul became king.
Samuel told Saul God had great plans for him but they had to happen on God’s timing at God’s direction.
Saul didn’t like that. He took matters into his own hands and rushed ahead of God. He got antsy, got nervous, felt pressured and made a big decision. That decision was not God’s and it changed the course of his life—and not for the better.

God will always give us lessons in His word to make our lives better. Saul is one of them.

When we are facing important decisions; when big concerns are taking center stage and forces are pressing down on us to hurry to answer, those are the times we need to rush to God, not ahead of God. For if we rush ahead we miss His blessing. We miss His hand in it. We miss what could have been instead of having what shouldn’t be.

Will you trust God? Because really, it’s about trust isn’t it? Can we put the decisions in His hands and trust He’ll answer? I don’t know…it’s a personal thing for each of us. But I do know trust comes from knowing the past of a person.

So let me ask, has He shown up for you before? Has he given you direction before? Has He been a wise counselor to the problems you faced before? If “yes” has any part of those answers then rushing ahead should be a part of the past.

Saul missed out because he forgot about God’s faithfulness, letting his trust be veiled by his impatience. And the irony of it is, Samuel showed up a just few hours later. A blessed life became a troubled life over waiting.

When you’re in the midst of decision-making and rushing rears its ugly head, instead of moving into the unknown…stop, pray and wait for whom you know. Pray for guidance and clarity and trust, and above all–patience. And then wait. Who knows, you may be just hours away from an answer. Because, He will answer. He will show up. He will guide you. His past has proven that. For it is ours to remember…if it’s big enough to pray about, it’s big enough to wait about.