PATIENCE (part 1)

1 Samuel 26:7-11 NASB

(7)  So David and Abishai came to the people by night, and behold, Saul lay sleeping inside the circle of the camp with his spear stuck in the ground at his head; and Abner and the people were lying around him.

(8)  Then Abishai said to David, "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hand; now therefore, please let me strike him with the spear to the ground with one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time."

(9)  But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against the LORD'S anointed and be without guilt?"

(10)  David also said, "As the LORD lives, surely the LORD will strike him, or his day will come that he dies, or he will go down into battle and perish.

(11)  "The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD'S anointed; but now please take the spear that is at his head and the jug of water, and let us go."

Having patience can be difficult.  God has a plan for each of us and we need to remember that God’s timing requires patience.  God had anointed David as King.  However, Saul was still in power.  Today we see David in a place where he can take matters into his own hands and take the thorn.  There are many statements David could use to justify killing Saul and taking charge.

He could have said, “God has anointed me to be king” or he could reason, “Saul has been rejected by God”.  After all Saul was seeking to kill him.  David could make the argument, “I will never see any peace as long as Saul lives”.  David could have said, “God has placed Saul in my power”.  Saul was right there sleeping and David could just do him in and be done with it. 

God’s purpose supersedes any opportunity.  God has his own timing and many times God’s plan does not fit our timeframe.  This is when we must be on guard because the devil will temp us to take the easy way out.

It just takes a little Patience.