Breach of Faith

"Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD;

he did not keep the word of the LORD

and even consulted a medium for guidance,

and did not inquire of the LORD.

So the LORD put him to death

and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse."

1 Chronicles 10:14

His unfaithfulness was obvious.  He disobeyed then tried to justify his defiance toward the God who put him on the throne.  (1 Samuel 15:1-9)  Instead of relying on God's guidance, he turned to a medium when he was in a tight spot.  (1 Samuel 28:3-25)  In place of seeing God as sovereign and just, he treated Him as if He could easily be ignored and put off.

My unfaithfulness may not be as blatantly obvious as that of Saul's but it is no less serious.  How do I offend God's jealous nature and His supreme authority in the way I live my life?  I may be surprised.

Lean on my own understanding.  I know the words well because they are one of the most popular and well-memorized portions of scripture.  "Love the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."  (Proverbs 3:5-6)  I've meditated on the meaning of this verse, thought about it's significance to the Christian walk, and discussed it's merits with other believers.  When facing everyday challenges, however, I don't always put it into practice.

The moment my health turns South I run to the doctor and seek medical advice for how to preserve my vigor and remove my pain.  I love God but figure this is out of His realm.  After all, I justify, doctors are there to heal the sick.  While God can use doctors to bring about a cure, it is ultimately the Lord who is in control.  I would be wise to then place my confidence more in Him then on modern medicine.

As soon as I experience money issues I rely on what I know and am able to comprehend, looking for all the input I can find on how to remedy my difficulties.  Instead of trusting God to lead me through these rough waters I look for ways to circumvent the hardships, forgetting that He has promised to use everything I face for my good and His glory.  

When the circumstances of my life don't make sense leading me to wonder what kind of plan God might have for me, I offend His mysterious and lofty ways in my insistence on being able to see every detail of the plan before I will take a step forward.  Walking by faith means I'll have to leave the "how" in His capable hands, letting Him lead me one tiny step at a time.  

I am just as unfaithful as Saul was when I fail to recognize His presence in and control over every single aspect of my life.

Double-minded.  I believe God is the One with the plan for my life.  I tell people that He is in control and that I trust Him.  I think He is the source of all the wisdom I need.  However, as soon as I face perplexing times, my actions show that I believe guidance can come from other sources.

If I am to receive the wisdom I need today, I must put all my eggs in His basket, believing that all other sources of wisdom fall short (James 1:5-8).  I often doubt His resources, however, believing in my heart that there are some areas where I need advice apart from Him.  When my budget needs tweaking, for instance, I ask God for help but tend to believe the answers really lie with the financial experts I hear in popular circles.  

People are quick to give me advice about my career and although I say I trust God, I often choose the route that will lead to the most benefit for me instead of believing God has a specific path laid out for me to follow that will bring Him ultimate glory. 

I also ask God for wisdom in how to spend my time but would rather take the advice of efficiency experts.  After all, I rationalize, God wants me to maximize my time, right?

I am just as unfaithful as Saul was when I don't really believe that God has all the answers to every problem I face.

Losing heart.  I got tired of waiting, desiring to see results instead of hearing promises.  Therefore, I ran ahead, attempting to make things happen so I could feel good about the progress I made.  Waiting might work for someone else, but I'm a woman of action.  Now is as good a time as any to make my life amount to something, I think.  After all, God helps those who help themselves!

This foolish thought process leads me to make foolish decisions, choosing any action over waiting in an attempt to keep from looking passive or lazy.  Waiting can be difficult because it feels weak.  I'd rather be actively working toward a goal than sitting around waiting for something to happen.

In God's kingdom, however, I must remember that He's the One with the plan and only He knows the route I will take to get to where He wants me to go.  Therefore, if I try to make things happen in order to avoid inaction, I risk getting off-track.  Once I'm outside of His will, dependent upon my own strength, discouragement sets in as my limited resources run dry. I will never run out of steam, however, if I put all my hope in God, expecting to see His plan unfold in His time (Isaiah 40:31).

I am just as unfaithful as Saul was when I blaze my own trail in an effort to avoid any delays or idleness.

I may not be as blatantly unfaithful as Saul turned out to be, but I do offend God by not totally trusting him in my own way.  I do this by depending more on what I can comprehend than on the incomprehensible mind of God, putting up pretenses that I am seeking God's wisdom when really I want something more palatable, or choosing action over waiting on God's perfect timing.  In so doing, I am showing a breach of my professed faith in a faithful God.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I will trust God completely in all my ways.

When do I stray away from Him because I don't feel like waiting around for His answers to be revealed?

How does this impatience result in discouragement?