“I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.” 1 Samuel 13:12

In difficult situations people will often feel compelled to do something that is normally not to be done. There is a pressure to break the rules to make something happen. People will quickly justify their reasons for breaking the rules to get something done. Often these rules have small affects, while other times they have a major effect causing very negative repercussions in many ways.

Saul had been waiting on Samuel to come to offer a sacrifice. Since Samuel had not come yet and the Philistines were against him, he made the sacrifice himself, something only the prophet or priest was to do.

It is very common for people to want to cut corners to make something happen a certain way. People look at it as not being wrong since it is still getting the job done, even though often it is breaking the rules.

This is done due to the high pressure to be successful no matter what it takes.

Believers can sometimes fall into this same trap. They will choose to take a situation into their own hands, compelled to do something rather than waiting upon God’s timing and obeying what He said to do or not do.

The only time a believer should act upon something he is feeling compelled to do is when it is from the Holy Spirit.
Everything else may be sin.

Obedience to God takes precedence over anything else that a believer may feel compelled or pressured by the world to do. The moment one disobeys God, he has sinned against God and begins to lose God’s favor in his life.

There may be times when you may be compelled to take things into your own hands and go against God’s commands to you. Keep your heart and ears open to hearing what God wants you to do and do that.

Do not allow yourself to be deceived into being compelled to break God’s commands. Know and trust that God is in control and knows the best time and way for everything to occur in your life. God is faithful and will never break His word or His commands to you.

In the end God will work all things out for your good and His kingdom.

Today I pray that you will know Jesus as your Lord and Savior; that you will know what God is commanding you to do; that you will be led by the Holy Spirit in all that you do; and that God will give you strength to obey His every command to you.