What Are You Waiting For?
The last post caught us up to 1 Samuel 16:1.
Samuel was grieving over Saul’s disobedience of God, and Saul had gone on his merry little way – not fully realizing the true consequences of his actions.
And then the Lord speaks to Samuel…
1The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go.”
How often do we need God to say that to us?
Stop dwelling in the past and get on with it! I have told you want to do, now go!
Samuel knew that God had rejected Saul as king. He knew that Saul would be replaced. But at the same time, he was sad that Saul had chosen to walk away from God’s will for Israel… and for him.
It is so easy for me to look at those around me and grieve over choices that they are making. Choices that will lead to unpleasant consequences at the very least, if not their own ruin. The hard part is to move on and let God deal with them in His way. I want to help them! I want to reach out to them and say “Hey! Don’t you see what you are doing? Don’t you see where this will lead? You need to change direction!”
Sometimes God does call us to do that, but other times He calls us to move on. To take the next step and get on with what He has placed before us.
The second half of the verse gets even better.
“I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
Yay! God is telling Samuel what the next step is! He isn’t left floundering, wondering what he needs to do, where he needs to go. God has laid out the path before him.
But… Israel still has a king, and Saul doesn’t want to be replaced, as we can see.
2And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.”
Saul no longer had respect for the Lord or his servant Samuel. Apparently it was common knowledge that those who crossed Saul, well, let’s just say they didn’t double cross him. Samuel heard what God commanded, saw the plan God had, but he also had fear of it.
But God comes through again:
And the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3And invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do. And you shall anoint for me him whom I declare to you.”
God has a plan. He has already thought through Samuel’s objections and questions – and provided the answer.
What is there in your life that God is telling you to move forward into? Where is He leading you that you are afraid to go? He will provide everything you need. He has the answers you seek, and He will guide you.
That’s one of the great things about God – He promises that He will never leave us or forsake us. His Word is the lamp to our feet and the light to our paths.
Seek His face. Spend time asking Him your questions. But don’t let those questions or your past stop you from following His will for your life.
Which Samuel did.
4Samuel did what the LORD commanded and came to Bethlehem.
What are you waiting for? Get your supplies and go.
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