Daily Devotional
Are You Getting Ahead of God?
And Samuel said, “What have you done?” Saul said, “When I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that you did not come within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered together at Michmash, then I said, ‘The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the Lord.’ Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering.”
1 Samuel 13:11-12
November 18, 2021
Ponder This
Samuel could see in Saul a character flaw that was the seed of his self-destruction. He knew sooner or later Saul would come to an untimely end because he was a man who would play the fool.
What was it that Saul did? It wasn’t all that bad. As a matter of fact, it sounds pretty good. He was offering sacrifices to God. He was praising God. He was worshiping God. But here is the problem: He was running ahead of God. He was acting by self-will and by self-determination. He was not acting on the Word of God. He was not waiting for the will of God. Instead, he was energized by his own mind. He did that which seemed good to him rather than getting a word from God and obeying God. He was a self-willed man. As we survey our own lives, we should assess if our actions, even if not outright evil on the surface, are getting ahead of God. The Christian life is a life of dependence, trusting that life with God is better than anything we could do on our own.
- Where might you be guilty of “getting ahead” of God?
- What needs to change so that you will rely more on Him in this area?
Practice This
Confess to God the areas you have sought to get ahead of Him in your own strength. Ask Him to help you wait in patience and confidence on His timing and direction for your life.
FOR YOUR GIFT TO THE MINISTRY
Front Porch Moments by Gayle Foster
WITH KEY INSIGHTS FROM HER FATHER, ADRIAN ROGERS
I try to unplug each morning with Jesus with just my rocking chair, my Bible, and a pen.
Having a secret place is very important because I know that Jesus is always there waiting for me. I know where I can find Him! His presence is everywhere, but there are places where it is so thick you can cut it with a knife. You may not even have a front porch, but there is a secret place for you as well. God’s invitations are for anyone who will respond. There is no more important request than the one found in Psalm 27:8: “My heart has heard You say, ‘Come and talk with Me.’ And my heart responds, ‘Lord, I am coming.’”
