When You Blow It Big Time
1 Samuel 11-13
It sounded like a good idea at the time. After all everyone else in the neighbourhood had a king of their own.
It took Israel very little time to figure out that they had made a mistake by choosing Saul as their king. It wasn't that he wasn't capable—he'd just finished rescuing them from the Ammonites. It helped that he looked good, had that "kingly" presence and all that.
But Samuel's rebuke made them take a second look at their decision. The response? "The people all said to Samuel, 'Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.'" (12:19 NIV)
Some things are difficult to "fix" after the fact. Israel couldn't "unking" Saul so would have to live with the consequences. But the encouraging note here is Samuel's response.
"'Do not be afraid,' Samuel replied, 'You have done all this evil, yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve him with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. [Saul, perchance had become that to Israel] They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.'" (12:20-22 NIV)
Perhaps there is no going back to undo, but there is always going forward with God. Sometimes we remain stuck at the "I blew it stage" never able to move on from there. Samuel's call was to move on, learn the lesson but keep going forward with the understanding that God has promised to complete in his children what he began in them. His reputation is at stake and his love for that frail creation is so great that he will not let us go.
As Paul said: "…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6 NIV).
And it certainly helps to have someone by our side like Samuel who will pray for us and teach us the ways of God so that we will avoid repeating the same mistakes and continue to walk in God's ways.
It sounded like a good idea at the time. After all everyone else in the neighbourhood had a king of their own.
It took Israel very little time to figure out that they had made a mistake by choosing Saul as their king. It wasn't that he wasn't capable—he'd just finished rescuing them from the Ammonites. It helped that he looked good, had that "kingly" presence and all that.
But Samuel's rebuke made them take a second look at their decision. The response? "The people all said to Samuel, 'Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so that we will not die, for we have added to all our other sins the evil of asking for a king.'" (12:19 NIV)
Some things are difficult to "fix" after the fact. Israel couldn't "unking" Saul so would have to live with the consequences. But the encouraging note here is Samuel's response.
"'Do not be afraid,' Samuel replied, 'You have done all this evil, yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve him with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. [Saul, perchance had become that to Israel] They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. For the sake of his great name, the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.'" (12:20-22 NIV)
Perhaps there is no going back to undo, but there is always going forward with God. Sometimes we remain stuck at the "I blew it stage" never able to move on from there. Samuel's call was to move on, learn the lesson but keep going forward with the understanding that God has promised to complete in his children what he began in them. His reputation is at stake and his love for that frail creation is so great that he will not let us go.
As Paul said: "…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6 NIV).
And it certainly helps to have someone by our side like Samuel who will pray for us and teach us the ways of God so that we will avoid repeating the same mistakes and continue to walk in God's ways.
Praise God He is a God of another chance! Many times, I have been a slooow learner. His loving patience amazes me!
ReplyDeleteHugs, Rita
http://ritasrandomramblings.blogspot.com/