“No!” David said. “Don’t kill him. For who can remain innocent after attacking the Lord’s anointed one? Surely the Lord will strike Saul down someday, or he will die of old age or in battle. The Lord forbid that I should kill the one he has anointed! But take his spear and that jug of water beside his head, and then let’s get out of here!” — 1 Samuel 26:1-25

A few years ago, our family stayed a day or so in Boston on our way to Acadia National Park.

We walked the Freedom Trail seeing significant Revolutionary War sites along the way including Bunker Hill.

There, the colonists fought the British in one of the first pitched battles of the war.

There, it is said that Col. Prescott uttered the famous quote, “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.”

The timing of their fire was absolutely critical.

David had been on the run for a long time.

King Saul was determined to take him out in opposition to both the word and the will of God.

Here, we find David with yet another opportunity to take matters into his own hands by killing Saul himself and seizing the throne by force.

David’s companion offered to do the job claiming it was a God-given opportunity to do exactly that.

David refused.

The timing of Saul’s removal was in God’s hands, not his.

Jesus revealed to his disciples that his friend Lazarus’ sickness was for the glory of God.

He then waited until Lazarus died before he went to him.

The timing of God leads to the glory of God.

We tend to be far more interested in our needs being met, our problems going away or getting what we want than we are with God’s glory.

Our lives will remain stunted until we learn to rejoice in God’s when.

Tom Wiles is senior minister of Fall Creek Christian Church in Pendleton. He can be reached at 765-778-3166.