It’s when you are under pressure that you make the mistake. You’ve waited and waited and waited on The Lord to provide. Seemingly nothing has happened, and your circumstances are tightening around you slowly like a boa constrictor squeezing its prey. Something must happen, and it must happen NOW, or all will be lost.

Or so you think…

That old saying, “If it’s going to be, it’s up to me,” rings loudly and clearly in our minds when things get tight, but it’s when we take matters into our own hands that we meddle with God’s perfect plan. Of course, we ought do those things The Lord has clearly instructed us to do, both through his revealed Word of Truth (the Bible) and through the still small voice of the Holy Spirit that whispers instructions to us. It is when we determine that His instructions are insufficient for the situation at hand that we fail, and due to our failure we run the risk of missing out on His best blessings.

In 1 Samuel 13, most of Saul’s forces deserted him when faced with the overwhelming Philistine army. The Israelites waited for Samuel to join them so they might receive strength and instruction from the Lord, but when Samuel did not arrive at the appointed time, Saul took matters into his own hands. Moments after offering the burnt offering, which he was forbidden to do, Saul was confronted by Samuel with a message from God:

And Samuel said to Saul, You have done foolishly! You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God which He commanded you; for the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever; But now your kingdom shall not continue…because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you. (1 Samuel 13:13-14, Amplified Bible)

Had Saul simply waited a tad bit longer, Samuel would have arrived, Saul would not have sinned, and we may never have heard of King David. But because he would not be satisfied with the Lord’s timing, he faltered.

Even after his failure, Saul was used of God for a time to benefit His people. But God’s perfect plan was derailed by an imperfect man, and we will do the same thing if we are not careful. When the circumstances squeeze, it is so tempting to take action. If the action is of God, then take it. But more often than not, the action we seek to take is of ourselves. God is very likely making us wait on our Samuel just to see if we will trust Him – or trust ourselves.

Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him…(Psalm 37:7, Amplified Bible)…