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by pastor Eniyekpemi Fidelis O | Aug 29, 2024 |August.
“Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” (Proverbs 29:20 NKJV)
Patience is becoming an unpopular virtue in our fast-paced society, seeking instant gratification. However, for Christians, patience remains an indispensable virtue. The Scripture sternly warns against hastiness or impatience.
Proverbs 21:5 – NKJV
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.
Proverbs 29:20 – NKJV
20 Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
The Scripture also teaches us the folly and danger of hastiness or impatience. Saul, the first king of Israel, was a great example of a hasty or impatient person in the Bible who paid dearly for his hastiness or impatience.
Saul took no delight in waiting patiently for God for anything. Consequently, he suffered significant losses in life. It is wise to examine Saul’s life to see the folly and danger of impatience.
After Saul had reigned for two years over Israel, the Philistines mustered all their forces and came up and pitched their camp against Israel. The Israelites also gathered together to Saul in Gilgal.
In those days, the Israelites would not go to any battle until the priest had made supplications to God for them by offering burnt and peace offerings to God. Samuel was the priest and prophet in those days, and he instructed Saul to wait for him for seven days.
1 Samuel 10:8 – NKJV
8 You shall go down before me to Gilgal, and surely I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and make sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days you shall wait till I come to you and show you what you should do.
But Saul would not wait for Samuel to come; he became restless and impatient and offered the burnt offering contrary to God’s commandment.
Having waited six days for Samuel to show up at Gilgal, Saul grew impatient early on the seventh day because he saw that the people were scattering from him, and he arose and broke God’s commandment. Immediately after that, Samuel showed up.
1 Samuel 13:8-15 – NKJV
8 Then he waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him.
9 So Saul said, “Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.” And he offered the burnt offering.
10 Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might greet him.
11 And Samuel said, “What have you done?” And 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,
12 “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.”
13 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 now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.
14 “But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
15 Then Samuel arose and went up from Gilgal to Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people present with him, about six hundred men.
God would have established his kingdom over Israel forever if Saul had waited a few more hours for Samuel. Impatience costs Saul an eternal dynasty. It robs his descendants of the honor of being kings in Israel. What a massive lesson for us today!
Your impatience can rob you and your descendants of great blessings.
Proverbs 21:5 – NKJV
5 The plans of the diligent lead surely to plenty, but those of everyone who is hasty, surely to poverty.
Furthermore, while the Israelites were at war with the Philistines, Jonathan, the son of King Saul, and his armor-bearer went out secretly from the camp of Israel. They descended upon the garrison of the Philistines (1 Sam. 14:15).
When Saul got to know about the falling and melting away of the Philistines in their camp, he immediately summoned the priest, saying, “Bring the ark of God here” (for at that time the ark of God was with the children of Israel.).” (1 Sam. 14:18 NKJV).
But before God could speak to Saul and give Him divine instructions, he became impatient and restless and thus fled to the battlefield without receiving any word from God (1 Sam. 14:16-20). The aftermath of his impatience was huge!
Let us consider some of the consequences of Paul’s hastiness.
First, as a consequence of Saul’s impatience to receive divine instructions from God, he rashly placed the Israelites under a curse, thereby restraining the fainting soldiers from taking the honey that God had graciously provided for them in the wood to strengthen them for complete victory over the Philistines (1 Sam. 14:28-30).
Unaware of Saul’s rash curse, Jonathan tasted the honey, and his countenance brightened. But when he was told about the curse, he rightly exclaimed that his father had troubled the land.
1 Samuel 14:28-30 – NKJV
28 Then one of the people said, “Your father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, ‘Cursed is the man who eats food this day.'” And the people were faint.
29 But Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. Look now, how my countenance has brightened because I tasted a little of this honey.
30 “How much better if the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found! For now would there not have been a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?”
Saul’s impatience brought great trouble upon Israel and robbed them of a complete victory over their enemies. Likewise, your impatience can bring great trouble to your family and hinder you from appropriating and experiencing the full victory that Jesus Christ has won for you through His death on the cross.
Second, as a result of Saul’s rash curse, which prevented the men of Israel from eating the honey that God had graciously provided to replenish their strength, the men became very faint and so rushed on the spoils and ate the animals with the blood, thereby breaking God’s law and becoming abominable before God (1 Sam. 14:31-34). Similarly, your hastiness or impatience could lead others into sins!
Third, the men rebelled against Saul and disobeyed his order to kill Jonathan (1 Sam. 14:43-46).
Saul’s impatience diminished him, reduced his authority, and provoked rebellion against him. Above all, later in the day, Saul consulted God for further counsel, but God would not answer him.
1 Samuel 14:35-37 – NKJV
35 Then Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD.
36 Now Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.”
37 So Saul asked counsel of God, “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?” But He did not answer him that day.
Early in the day, Saul was impatient to hear or listen to God when God wanted to counsel him. Eventually, Saul and his men returned from pursuing the Philistines and missed the complete victory God had planned for them.
Behold the consequences of one man’s impatience!
Like Saul, many believers today no longer hear God’s voice because they are always impatient while waiting for God to speak to them. While they may have the time or patience to petition God, they don’t have the time or patience to wait for God to talk to them. Many believers today are confused, stumbling, and failing in life.
The Scripture amply warns against impatience.
Proverbs 25:8 – NKJV
8 Do not go hastily to court; for what will you do in the end, when your neighbor has put you to shame?
Ecclesiastes 5:2 – NKJV
2 Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven, and you on earth; Therefore let your words be few.
Proverbs 29:20 – NKJV
20 Do you see a man hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.
Beloved, it is indeed foolishness to be hasty or impatient.
Impatience is a fruit of unbelief!
The Scripture testifies, “…Whoever believes will not act hastily.” (Isa. 28:16 NKJV).
Being hasty in your words and actions indicates that you are walking in the flesh, not the Spirit.
Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit!
The Scripture states, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…” (Gal. 5:22 RSV).
Therefore, the more you renew your mind according to the truths of God’s Word and the more you surrender or yield to the Holy Spirit, the more you will grow in, exhibit, or manifest patience.
Prayer:
My Dear Heavenly Father, I repent of my hastiness or impatience in my decisions and actions. Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me daily manifest the fruit of patience you produce in my born-again spirit, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
OUR mandate is to preserve the faith of the Apostolic Generation.
Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.
AWH, Blogs.
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