Today's Passage: I Samuel 13
Fear can make you do crazy things. It is said that President and Mrs. Benjamin Harrison were so afraid of the newfangled electricity that was installed in the White House that they refused to touch the switches. If none of the servants were around at bedtime, they would sleep with the lights on rather than turn them off themselves!
In Saul's case, fear causes him to lose trust in God. Surrounded by Philistines, Saul was told to wait for Samuel. As the days passed the men "quaked with fear", hiding in caves and running away. The more afraid the men got, the more afraid Saul got as well. After waiting seven days for Samuel, he finally just has to do something, so he makes the offering to God. Just as the offering is burning, up walks Samuel. Fear led to doubt, doubt led to a poor decision, and a poor decision led to the kingdom being taken away from Saul's family forever.
One of the hardest things to do is trust that God is still moving when we're afraid and have yet to see His hand working in our life. We panic and act without God's counsel, which very rarely works in our favor.
We know God is with us...can we trust that He is working even when fear begins to overtake us? I was reading a similar story this morning in 2 Kings. The prophet Elisha was surrounded by an army of men sent to kill him. When fear began to grip him, he prayed that he would be able to see what God was doing. In that moment, he saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire, completely surrounding the enemy! God was there, just waiting for the right moment, and Elisha knew to wait on the Lord.
When fear comes, will we panic or trust in God? I pray God will open our eyes and let us see where He is already working on our behalf.
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