“When I saw that the men were scattering … I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal … So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering” –1 Samuel 13:11-12

There is a hilarious story told of a rural pastor who was in desperate need for money. A circus came to town that was offering five hundred dollars for anyone who would enter the cage of a lion and stay with the beast for five minutes. The poor pastor remembered the story of Daniel and quickly signed up for it. He entered the cage, and seeing the ferocious animal following him, backed himself into a corner and began to pray for God’s intervention. When he opened his eyes, he was surprised to see the lion sitting with its fore feet clasped in a praying posture.

“What are you doing?”

“I am also praying,” said the lion.

“And what are you praying for?”

“I am thanking God for the sumptuous meal I am about to enjoy.”

Let’s be honest about this. All of us have been there before – those times when circumstances pushed us to the brink; the times when out of desperation, we made some very poor and costly decisions. They could have been dire need for money, promotion, recognition, or any other material possession. We pushed the desperation button out of fear and landed in some disastrous and regrettable situation.

King Saul reminds us of such moments. Confronted by a huge Philistine army, a fear-stricken and scattering Israelite army, and a delayed Samuel, the king desperately offered up the burnt offering, a priestly function he was forbidden to perform. “Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived” (1 Sam. 13:5-10). If only he had trusted the Lord!

The Bible is replete with examples of people who acted impatiently and brought chaos on themselves or their descendants. Sarah encouraged Abraham to sleep with her maid Hagar when age overtook her for childbirth and the Promised child was yet to come (Gen. 16:1-15). We all know the consequences. Esau lost the blessings of his dying father when, out of desperation, he sold his birthright to Jacob for some bread and lentil stew (Gen. 25:29-34). Moses assumed the role of deliverer forty years too soon and suffered for all those years in the Midian wilderness (Ex. 2:11-25). The story of the Prodigal Son typifies the regret of impatience and its consequent suffering (Lk. 15:11-24).

The young man had it all in a secure family home and a prosperous future. However, the world beaconed to him with tantalizing proposals he couldn’t resist. Sensual pleasure brought him down to his knees; and in dire need, he desperately accepted a job to feed pigs – an abomination to Jews. Only a recovery of his senses brought him back into his father’s welcoming arms.

Life can be cruel sometimes. It deals the undiscerning with tricky hands that eventually rob them of common decency. It gets desperate thereafter, leading to hurriedly taken wrong decisions. Depression and humiliation are not uncommon at such times; and some take their lives. It is only the grace of God and a loving family that save some. It doesn’t have to be so.

Our faith and trust in God bring down His strength to endure all situations. Isaiah expresses it this way.  “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” (Is. 40:31).

The endowment of the Holy Spirit is the believer’s guarantee of this new strength in Jesus. Yielding to Him ensures its flow and power.