The Philistines pressed hard after Saul and his sons, and they killed his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malki-Shua. The fighting grew fierce around Saul, and when the archers overtook him, they wounded him critically.
Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword and run me through, or these uncircumcised fellows will come and run me through and abuse me."
But his armor-bearer was terrified and would not do it; so Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When the armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he too fell on his sword and died with him. So Saul and his three sons and his armor-bearer and all his men died together that same day. 1 Samuel 31: 2-6
Today's Reading: 1 Samuel 30-31; Luke 13:23-35
What up Saul?
I kinda feel bad for you just a little bit. You didn’t ask for this job but you know what… you did pretty well all things considered. You reigned for a long time, won a whole lot of battles and you don’t seem to have lost too much of
Job well done considering that you were the first king…
But I think the thing that most gets me about you is how you fell out of favor with God. You couldn’t have waited a little longer on that seventh day for Samuel to arrive? You thought that you could take it upon yourself to offer the sacrifice?
And on top of that, you thought it would be cool to take the plunder that you were supposed to destroy during the battle?
What were you thinking man?
Well… probably the same thing I’d be thinking in those two situations. Something needed to be done during that battle right? There was no more time to waste. Plus with the plunder… why let all that goodness go to waste right?
Sure, I know that it is really important to put God first and all of that… but that’s real hard sometimes.
Sometimes I want what I want… but what I want ain’t always right.
*sigh*
That’s why your rise and fall resonates with me so much. I’m not sure that I would have avoided those same mistakes man…
So I just wanted to take this opportunity to make sure you didn’t think I was getting all self-righteous on you with my earlier posts. I’m no better a man than you.
I sure am glad there is grace… Otherwise it would be a wrap for me too.
Reluctantly Sincere,
Clarence
I believe that God does not hide from us at any time the next right action. My prideful problem is a lack of trust and a bloated sense of my own power. When I know the right action, but do something else because I know that the right action leads to God's result and the other action leads to my result--which will be better--I reveal my human frailty. Even St. Paul could not figure out why he, to whom so much had been given, continued to act this way. I just pray that experiencing my results instead of God's will constantly remind me of the order in His universe. And my life will flow with that order like a peaceful river and not like a churning rapids.
ReplyDelete@George Thank you for sharing. Pride is a strange thing isn't it? Pursuing my desires vs God's... whew.. that's the struggle of my life.
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