When God is Late to Our Appointment

[S] 1 Samuel 13:8-10 --
8 Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9 So Saul said, "Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering. 10 As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 

[O] Saul did wait until the promised time expired and then he took his own actions.  So his original intention wasn't to defy God or to disregard Samuel, but his actions resulted in disobedience because he did not hold on to his faith to wait until Samuel (or God) showed up.  Also notice how Samuel just showed up as soon as Saul committed his act of disobedience.  Why couldn't he have shown up a little sooner?

[A] Since I am generous I may give some lenient amount of time after our "appointed" time of meeting, so if God does not show up until some generous amount of time, I am no different than Saul because since I won't know how much longer to wait I would have to take the Plan B option.  But when God makes an appointment with me, I need to realize that He may "seem" late in my own timetable but He is never late in His timing because His timing is all about increasing my faith in Him.  So I must not take matters into my own hands but to keep my hands open in surrender, until He shows up.

[P] Dear Father, You have been teaching and molding me lately (as You always had been doing) especially through some situations where I feel like You are late to our appointments and leaving me hanging.  I pray that I won't be like Saul but to wait it out with the faith You have allowed me to have in my heart.  In Jesus' name I ask.  Amen.

Preservation While I Wait

[S] Psalm 25:21 --
Let integrity and uprightness preserve me,
For I wait for You.

[O] Starting with 25:10, the writer describes a moment of struggle in his life where he had to rely on nothing other than God's providence itself and to know that God will provide the best in His time.  In the end verse 21 puts the icing on the cake by concluding that it is none other but his own integrity and uprightness which will preserve him while he is waiting.

[A] I am proclaiming that my integrity and uprightness be the soul source of strength and courage during my waiting period.

[P] Dear Father, please preserve me as I seem to be walking through the lonely and dark period because without Your promise I really have nothing else to hand on to.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.

Love-founded Waiting

[S] Genesis 29:20 --
 ²⁰So Jacob served seven years for Rachel and they seemed to him but a few days because of his love for her.

[O] I just love reading this story because it paints a beautiful picture of the power of love.  The not-so-short seven years can seem like just a few days when Jacob was waiting to marry Rachel whom he dearly loved.  Switching gears a bit when my love for Jesus becomes the foundation for my participating in His ministry, instead of feeling burdened and drawn out, all should seem like a blip because I do it out of my deepest love for Him.  In many ways, my perspective changes when my heart is in love with Jesus.  Otherwise, all will seem like chore and no chore is delightful to take on by default.

[A] The small group ministry under way is challenging and at times I feel like it's not going anywhere.  I realized based on this passage that such a perspective is due to my lack of love for Jesus.  I need to be careful about falling into the ritualistic aspects of ministry rather than centered around the motivation of why I am in His ministry to begin with.  Whenever I feel like it's going so slow, I should re-examine my love for Jesus.

[P] Dear Father, Jacob's love for Rachel is a such a great example for me to follow when I serve You because Your ministry is not just a simple walk in the park.  It will demand some serious challenges at times and I need to keep my position, and doing that will require me to based it on my love for You.  Let my love never run dry.  In Jesus' name.  Amen.