Waiting and Rationalization
Good Morning,
“Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what you are to do.” 1 Sam 10:8
His troops were scattering to the wind. His army was being outmaneuvered by the Philistines as they raided in three different directions. There were no swords or spears at his disposal. The situation was growing more desperate by the moment.
Very early in Saul’s reign as king he faced a critical situation that challenged his leadership and his allegiance to God. And it was a situation that involved waiting. Saul was under great pressure. He had been told by Samuel to wait seven days for him to return and then they would sacrifice to the Lord. Yet the 7th day came and the stress gets to Saul. (Samuel did in fact come by the end of the 7th day, but Saul wasn’t willing to wait that long). On top of that, Saul is surrounded by the enemy and his troops are fleeing. Try to put yourself in Saul’s position. As his thoughts become consumed by his immediate situation, he starts down a slippery slope of rationalization. I can imagine him thinking, Samuel must have gotten lost or killed. Perhaps Samuel forgot what day it was. Surely, if Samuel was aware of my circumstances, he would understand me taking matters into my own hands. Lives are at stake after all.
So, Saul gives way to panic and makes a sacrifice to the Lord himself. He has no right to do this. Only the priest is to do this. But Saul’s impatience caused him to rationalize that waiting was not only impossible, but irresponsible. And his imprudence will cost him his Kingdom. God declares that his reign will not continue as Saul hopes: How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you. Had you kept it, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart. (13:13-14a)
When we are under pressure or in a long period of waiting, we can be prone to turn inward and lose our perspective. We can lose sight of the long end of the rope. This can cause us to rationalize an action outside God’s plan. For example, we desperately want to be married so we begin a serious relationship with a non-believer. We are in a difficult place financially, so we stop reporting our income or stop giving to God. The situations can be almost endless.
I have a life axiom that can help make the decision to keep waiting grounded in truth instead of pure emotion. It can bring clarity even if the clarity that is difficult to accept in the moment. God will never ask you to go against His will to accomplish His will. No matter how tired you are of waiting it does not justify actions that apply to the short end of the rope without consideration of the long end. Actions that put expediency ahead of obedience. Actions that put our desire for resolution ahead of God’s plan and timing.
To be sure waiting is often not easy. But God never has us waiting without good reason. When we rationalize short circuiting the waiting, we forfeit the refinement that takes place in us while we wait. There is a saying you may have heard that brings this home.
“What God wants to do in you while you wait may be even more important than what you are waiting for.”
Questions to ponder this week:
1. Are you rationalizing a course of action based only on the short end of the rope?
2. Who can help you keep your perspective when pressures start to mount?
Live on purpose, Ron Klopfenstein, CPLC
