How Long Is Too Long? Part One: A Study of Saul

[Today's devotional is taken from the small-group study "Arrayed in Hope", which I wrote about a year ago.]

In First Samuel 13, we read that Saul had given up hope on Samuel. Saul offers three reasons for his loss of hope (First Samuel 13:11):

• Saul’s army had started to leave.
• Samuel had not arrived at the appointed time.
• The Philistine army had assembled at Micmash (Michmash), ready for battle.

A strong enemy, a dispersing army, and a missing prophet moved Saul into a disobedience fueled by hopelessness. Perhaps we, like Saul, have had moments when we gave up hope and took matters into our own hands. For Saul, his lack of hope led him into doing something that he was not authorized to do. (Although he had authority as ruler of the people, he did not have authority as a spiritual representative.)

How can we be hopeful in moments where we feel like the help we need is “taking too long” to arrive? Perhaps we can take encouragement from Psalm 39:7: “But now, O Lord, upon what am I relying? You are my only hope!” Yes, it is the Lord who is our hope. It is Jesus who represents us and pleads our case before the Father.