Scripture: “He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. ... “What have you done?” asked Samuel. Saul replied, “When I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Mikmash, ... “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 1 Samuel 13:8,11,13 NIV Application: I remember learning to ride a bike. It took me longer than most kids. I kept putting my feet down because it seemed that whatever was supposed to "takeover" didn't come fast enough. I needed "help," and I supplied it with my own feet dropping to the ground at the first sign that I was about to tip over. Likewise, Saul thought it best to "help" when everything looked like his nation was about to be slaughtered by Philistines. His opponents had weapons that he didn't, and his troops scattered. In a sense, Saul put his feet down prematurely by burning the sacrifice too soon and not following Samuel's instructions. Back to me. One day, a playmate of mine (his name wasn't Samuel, but I'll call him that for obvious reasons) saw my failed attempts to ride my bike. He yelled, "Keep pedaling! Keep pedaling! You won't fall!" He was right. I just kept my feet up and momentum "took over." But it took faith in something more than my own feet to keep me going. It took listening to "Sam's" coaching and pedaling longer than I thought I should. The reward was a lifetime of enjoyment. There's a reason why it's said that "you never forget how to ride a bike (or swim)." The skills you develop cause you to realize that success comes after feelings of discomfort. Faith means enduring not only longer than you think you can, but sometimes, also longer than you think you should. Prayer: Help us keep our feet up and rely on You throughout our challenges, dear God. Amen Comments are closed.
|
Archives
May 2023
© 2017 damwriter
All Rights Reserved |