In such a rushed and time-conscious world, patience and waiting often escape our natural reactions to everyday problems. In our cursory prayers, we hurriedly ask God to guide us and solve all of our problems, expecting peace and prosperity from Him. Unfortunately, we hardly wait to hear God’s reply before we wrap them up with a quick thanksgiving, more “please guide me†statements, and a final “Amen.â€
Like Saul, we trust in the providence of God but lack patience. If Saul had waited a little longer, he would not have lost his kingdom (1 Sam 13:14) and most importantly, God’s favor and abidance. As the multitude of Philistines gathered to attack and his own people began to scatter, Saul grew desperate for help. Yet God is almighty and can control the universe with just one utterance. Even if Samuel never came, the Philistines would have been powerless against a patient and obedient Saul. For as Moses encouraged the Israelites, God promises “the blessing, if you obey the commandments of the Lord your God†(Deut 11:27)
We know the necessity of God’s guidance and protection in our everyday lives. Yet we rush ourselves to work, the bank, and the grocery store, through all the turns and loops in between. We expect God to direct our paths, but often grow impatient at the twists and turns in life. God has already mapped them out (Job 13:27)—He has His time. We must learn to stop, breathe, and wait.
Time is selfish and stops for no one. But God comforts us with the promise that “all things work together for good to those who love God†(Rom 8:28). Loving God includes trusting His judgments and sacrificing time to pray with perseverance for the revelation of His divine will. Most of us despair after a week of silence, convince ourselves that God does not exist in our lives, and are swept back into the wave of the busy world.
Apostle Paul exhorts, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication… let your requests be made known to God†(Phil 4:6). With prayer on our side, we need only to wait patiently for the voice of God and watch for His reply. Sometimes God reminds us to add patience and trust to the hustle and bustle of our lives, for to “everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven†(Ecc 3:1).
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