Never Withdraw Your Hand

“It is better to know some of the questions than all of the answers.”
James Thurber

“I cannot forecast to you the action...It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.” Winston Churchill

“There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception.”
Aldous Huxley

“Uncertainty is the only certainty there is.”
John Allen Paulos

“Every moment of light and dark is a miracle.”
Walt Whitman

Have you ever been in an uncertain situation where it seemed prudent to seek God’s counsel, only to impatiently charge ahead without waiting for clear divine guidance? Such was the error committed by King Saul in 1 Samuel 14. The tumultuous events began when Saul’s son Jonathan, accompanied only by his armor-bearer, launched a daring surprise attack against the Philistines in faithful obedience to God. This bold move threw the Philistine camp into panicked confusion as “The garrison and even the raiders trembled, the earth quaked, and it became a very great panic” (1 Samuel 14:15, ESV). Initially, Saul responded rightly by seeking the Lord’s wisdom on how to proceed
(1 Samuel 14:18-19). With the Philistine forces seemingly in disarray, pausing to listen for God’s strategic counsel was wise. However, it became evident that the situation on the battlefield appeared to swing decisively in Israel’s favor. Saul could sense momentum was on their side, and in this moment of presumed advantage, Saul disastrously interrupted the priestly petition with the fateful order: “Withdraw your hand” (1 Samuel 14:19, ESV). How often are we like Saul, seeking God’s face until circumstances seem to break our way, then rashly abandoning our dependence on His divine counsel? When the path forward appears clear from our limited vantage point, we impulsively rush ahead without waiting for Him to illumine our next steps.

A Deafening Silence
In 1 Samuel 13, we have just seen Saul’s disobedience and the consequences it brought upon Israel. Saul, feeling pressured and anxious about the diminishing number of his soldiers and the impending threat of the Philistine army, decided to offer the burnt offering instead of waiting the seven days he had been directed to wait for by Samuel. Samuel arrived after Saul had offered the sacrifice and rebuked him for his disobedience rooted in Saul’s impatience and lack of trust in God’s timing. In
1 Samuel 14, the narrative shifts to a state of indecision and fear as the Israelites were camped across from the Philistine garrison. Try to imagine the tension and disquiet that hung in the air with the palpable unease and confusion growing among Saul’s restless troops as they heard the “panic in the camp, in the field, and among all the people” (1 Samuel 14:15, ESV). With the din of uncertainty swirling, a desperate Saul, seeing this terror and tumult spreading, decides to seek God’s counsel and calls for the priest. However, before the priest could inquire of God, Saul perceived the situation: The narrator writes that “while Saul was talking to the priest, the tumult in the camp of the Philistines increased more and more” (1 Samuel 14:19, ESV). Saul, in his impatience, not wanting to lose the military advantage he perceived Israel seemed to have, steps in to stop the priest from inquiring of God and decides to act on his own understanding—the exact opposite of what we are advised in Proverbs 3:5 (ESV), “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.” How human it is to crave clarity, yet not wait for confirmation from Heaven! We have all been there, praying fervently for an answer, any answer, to shine a light on our cloudy circumstances, and then growing impatient as it seems God is silent. Jeremiah 33:3 reminds us, we are to call to Him, and He will answer, telling us great and hidden things we have not known. Even if the heavens seem like brass and our prayers like words dispersing into the ether, we should continue to seek God’s counsel and patiently wait for His response.

The Pain of Uncertainty
In those tense times when we wait for guidance that seems to tarry, a host of fears and doubts can take root: “What if I make the wrong choice?... Why will God not reveal the next step?... I feel so lost and directionless!” The pain of uncertainty can be excruciating because our minds demand certitudes while circumstances oblige confusion. We crave a heavenly download of divine insight to show us the way even as we grope in the dark as Job did, “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat!” (Job 23:3, ESV). Yet, disorienting as it is, uncertainty is also the soil in which wisdom blooms. James 1:5 (ESV) counsels, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

The Fateful Pattern of Disobedience
Saul’s story reveals a pattern of squandered potential, impatience, self-sufficiency, and self- destruction through disobedience. His disobedience in the first command from God (1 Samuel 13) set the stage for a running theme – Saul could not follow instructions. Later, after defeating the Amalekites, Saul was commanded to utterly destroy them and their possessions. Yet, he kept the best of the plunder and let the Amalekite king Agag live (1 Samuel 15). When confronted by Samuel, Saul lamely tried to justify his actions by blaming the people. Samuel rebuked him, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). Disobedience cost Saul his kingdom. Although he did not lose it immediately, it planted seeds of rebellion that would bear bitter fruit. At his core, Saul suffered from a tragic character flaw; he allowed pride, jealousy, fear, and selfishness to override obedience to God. His disobedience was a pattern, not just a one-off mistake – he kept making the same willful error of putting his own will ahead of God’s clear commands. Saul may have started wanting to do the right thing, but his continual disobedience hardened his heart. By the end, he was so distant from God that he resorted to the occult out of desperation (1 Samuel 28), a clear violation of God’s commandments against consulting mediums or necromancers (Leviticus 19:31, 20:6). This sad spiral of sin all stemmed from a lack of obedience as each disobedient act made the next easier, slowly destroying Saul’s relationship with God and destroying his inheritance. His tragic character arc is a sobering warning about the consequences of stubborn self-will.

Lessons from the Murkiness
When shrouded in the fog of uncertainty, may we be compelled to learn important lessons:

1. Patience is a Prerequisite for Peace – It is counterintuitive, but we must first embrace the
discomfort of uncertainty before clarity can emerge. Like a woman in labor, we must make it through the difficult contractions before we birth new life. Patience is key. Psalm 37:7 (ESV),
“Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”

2. Discernment Develops in Darkness – Sometimes, in murky circumstances, we sharpen our
   powers of discernment . “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding” (Proverbs 2:6, ESV). Unable to lazily cruise by on answer autopilot, we are forced to carefully ponder, weigh options, and hone careful judgment as we focus on our King.
3. Faith is Forged in Fire – When the way remains unfurling before us, our faith can no longer rest on pleasant feelings or self-assurances but must be anchored in the unshakable character of God Himself. Hebrews 11:1(ESV) states, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” These are the arid deserts where our superficial sands of belief either bake into hardened spiritual sedimentary floors or blow away on the winds of doubt.
4. Biddability Blossoms from Bewilderment – There is a profound remedy in admitting, “I do not know.” It is arresting to confront the limits of our understanding but also delightfully humbling. Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV) says, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” No longer able to rely on our own resources of reason or perception, we are driven to utter dependence on the Omniscient One who has perfect vision where we are blind.

The Lord Holds Our Hand
Another profound comfort amidst uncertainty comes from Isaiah 41:13 (ESV), “For I, the Lord your God, hold your right hand; it is I who say to you, ‘Fear not, I am the one who helps you.’” In the ancient Near Eastern world, the right hand represented the hand of power, strength, and blessing. So placing our right hand in God’s hand carries special significance because our hand of power and strength rests in Him—we do not strive on our own. Even when we cannot see the way forward, we can take solace in knowing that our omniscient, omnipotent God is gently grasping our right hand to guide us through the darkness. We need not fear getting lost or making missteps, for the Lord Himself is our helper, our shepherd leading us through the valley of the shadow with His strength. With such a comforting promise, we can patiently endure seasons of uncertainty, knowing we are securely held by the One who will never leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5).

Never Withdraw Your Hand
While Saul erred in abruptly cutting off seeking God by commanding the priest to withdraw his hand, the wise response is the opposite – to never withdraw your hand from the Almighty! Even when shrouded in silence, we persistently pray and seek His face, confident that the Lord who sees in secret (Matthew 6:6) hears our cries. Jesus taught, in the Parable of the Persistent Widow, that we are to always “pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1, ESV). Remaining tenacious and steadfast in seeking God’s face is the pathway to peace, even amidst uncertainties. God will keep us, whose mind is stayed on Him, in perfect peace because we trust Him (Isaiah 26:3). Withdraw your hand from self-reliance, but never withdraw your hand from unceasing communion with the Only Wise God.

Dear reader, have you fallen into similar patterns of stubbornly insisting on your own way instead of following God? It is an easy trap, especially for those in positions of power like Saul, but disobedience, however small it starts, compounds over time into a full-blown rebellion against God. Take an honest look at your life: is there an area where you are, in essence, telling God, “Thanks, but I will handle this my way?” Let this be the day you no longer travel further down that road of self- destruction. Confess it, repent of that stubborn pride, and realign your will with the Lord. Unlike Saul, choose humble obedience over arrogant self-reliance. The path of obedience may seem more difficult in the short term, but it leads to blessing rather than ruin. After all, is that not what we all ultimately desire? If you find yourself in a season of fog and uncertainty, where answers seem to hide like cosmic quarry, lean into the tension, linger in the liminalities, and let the angst do its humbling, softening work. God is still speaking, even when it is difficult to hear Him. He is ever-present and ceaselessly unfolding circumstances beyond what our finite minds can fathom. In those pregnant pauses, do not withdraw your hand from His presence; be still, and know He is God (Psalm 46:10). Guidance will come for the waiting, but perhaps not the understanding you crave. So embrace the questions and let the uncertainties linger. Most of all, trust in our faithful Father who always knows how to give good gifts to His children who ask (Matthew 7:11). Never withdraw your hand from the God who gives wisdom generously when asked in faith, the same God who tenderly holds our hand and helps us through life’s uncertainties. Keep knocking, keep seeking, keep petitioning the Throne of Grace. Those who endure will find life and obtain the promises (Proverbs 8:35).

“But as for me, I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” 
(Micah 7:7, ESV)

“Yes, Lord, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for You; Your name and renown are the desire of our hearts” 
(Isaiah 26:8, ESV).