1 Samuel 12-13 / God's Pace

For 11 years in school, I found one of my favorite communities in marching band. And as one hundred instrumentalists played together, one lesson became crystal clear—our pace mattered. At our conductor’s pace, a beautiful symphony was born. Unawareness of our pace, on the other hand, sounded more like elephant calls and car alarms.

When it comes to our spiritual lives, our pace matters. Will we respond to God’s will by lagging behind or rushing ahead, or will we walk in step with the Spirit and glorify Him?

In the book of 1 Samuel, we learn lessons from Israel’s king Saul, who failed to move at God’s pace. When called to make himself known as Israel’s first king, we quickly find him lagging behind:

“…when they sought him, he could not be found. So they inquired again of the Lord, “Is there a man still to come?” and the Lord said, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.” (1 Samuel 10:22)

Given a second chance after being installed as king, we soon find Saul rushing ahead! His nation's faith is failing in battle against the Philistines, his leadership is crumbling, and his patience wanes as he makes an unlawful sacrifice meant for the prophet Samuel’s hands alone (1 Samuel 13:8-12):

“And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which He commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom forever. But now your kingdom will not continue.”  (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

Sadly, Saul couldn’t find the strength to move at God’s pace. Just the same, we find it hard to walk in step with God’s will: a financial hardship hits our home, false accusations are levied against us, a hard conversation needs to be had, instant gratification eludes us. So we set a pace other than God’s to rectify it, only to find things worse than when we started. 

What hope do we have when we’re so prone to wandering? Samuel gives us hope as he speaks to Israel:

“For the Lord will not forsake His people, for His great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for Himself.” (1 Samuel 12:22)

Our hope lies in God’s unwavering faithfulness toward us, ultimately demonstrated in Christ. Despite our sin, He has made us a people for Himself for His great name’s sake. He is pleased to choose us and not forsake us in our wandering. From this faithfulness, we find relief in God’s grace when our pace is out of step, and we find boldness from His presence to walk in step with His will. May we find true life and joy as we walk in step with Him!

Where am I lagging behind or rushing ahead of God’s will for me?

How can God’s faithfulness and grace give me boldness to walk in step with Him?


Blessings, 

Pastor Kevin G