A Tragic Find to a Promising Beginning

“Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.’ Samuel said,

‘Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
As in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
And to heed than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He has also rejected you from being king.’

Then Saul said to Samuel, ‘I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice.’” 1 Samuel 15:20-24

The race of life that God has placed us in requires a daily, deliberate exercise as well a good start if we are to finish well and strong. Many of us know Christians who started with great promise but ended in tragedy and despair.

Initially Saul loved God and did His will. God even changed his heart for good, and before long Saul had captured the hearts of his countrymen. Sadly, however, this great man’s life was spent in bitterness, hatred, and depression.

Saul offered a sacrifice when he became impatient for Samuel to arrive. It didn’t seem like much at the time, but it grew into increased rationalization. He began to blame others - “the people took some of the spoil” (1 Sam. 15:21) - until Saul no longer took responsibility for his sin, and his self-will loomed larger than God’s will for him.

The process hasn’t changed. We flirt with a particular sin, rationalize it - and before long we are captive to it. Our hearts are hardened to God’s loving conviction, and we pursue our own destruction.                       

Are you rationalizing a sin today? Is there a known area of disobedience in your life? If so, go to God and confess and repent of it. God will restore you.

“...the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind...”
1 Samuel 15:29