1 Samuel 13

The Explanation

Long, long ago there was a king. His name was Saul. He was tall, and he had many soldiers.

But far away, the enemies were coming. They were called the Philistines. There were so many of them. As many as the grains of sand on the beach. They had horses. They had wagons that rumbled.

The people of Israel looked, and they were scared. Very scared. So they hid. They hid in caves. They hid behind big rocks. They hid in holes in the ground, quiet as mice.

King Saul stood in a place called Gilgal. His hands were shaking a little.

Now, God had a helper. His name was Samuel. Samuel had said, "Wait for me. Seven days."

So Saul waited. One day. Two days. Three days. The sun came up, and the sun went down. Four days. Five days. Six days. And then seven days.

No Samuel. Not yet.

What Does This Mean?

Saul looked around. His soldiers were slipping away, one by one. Saul's tummy felt tight.

"I can't wait any longer," said Saul. "I will do it myself."

And Saul did something he was not allowed to do. He brought the gift for God all by himself. He did not wait for Samuel.

And then, just then, Saul heard footsteps. Samuel was coming! Samuel came walking up the path.

"What have you done?" said Samuel.

Saul said, "I was scared. So I did it myself."

Samuel shook his head. He was sad. "You did not listen to God," he said. "God said wait. And you did not wait."

Waiting is hard. Even for a big king with a crown.

The Common Thread

Then Samuel said something very special. "God is looking," he said. "God is looking for someone whose heart is like His own heart."

And God did look. God looked and looked. Do you know who God found? A little shepherd boy, out in the fields with his sheep. His name was David.

And much, much later came Someone even better. Jesus. Jesus always listened to His Father in heaven. Always. Jesus never ran ahead. Jesus waited, every single time, for what His Father said.

For You

Waiting is hard for you too, isn't it?

Waiting until dinner is ready. The soup smells so good. But it is still too hot.

Waiting until it is your turn on the slide.

Waiting and waiting until your birthday comes.

Sometimes waiting makes your tummy feel wiggly. Just like Saul.

But listen. When you wait, you are never alone. God is right there with you. You can whisper to Him. You can say, "God, waiting is hard." He hears you. He always hears you.

And God says: keep listening to Me. I know what is good.

Talk About It

What is something you find really hard to wait for?

What can you say to God when waiting is hard?

Praying Together

Dear God,

Waiting is hard for me.

Please help me wait.

Please help me listen to You.

Thank You that You are always there.

Amen.