Light Overcomes Darkness

You know that the word believe is a verb.  In my ESV translation, the word is used 155 times.  Obey is a verb as well.  But it is used only 116 times in my translation.  In a nutshell, when the Lord God reveals an answer to you in His Word or by other means He expects that we will hear it and obey it; particularly if it is something, on which, we have asked for guidance.  To ignore it or not to act on it as directed would be to doubt and be disobedient.

I sometimes struggle with both doubt and disobedience as well as listening.  Sometimes even asking.  And these are serious flaws that I work on daily.  First, I must remember that nothing is too small for God and nothing is too large.  Second, if I take something to Him, He will answer in His time.  My job is to wait patiently for the answer and obey when it comes.

When I think of these things, I often think of Saul and David.  These guys were the first two Kings of Israel, and both had their struggles, but it is how they handled them that set them apart.  Saul seemed more connected to the world as time went on and David was more connected to God.

Both men sinned, but each responded differently.

Saul

The sin that stands out for me with Saul is in 1 Samuel 15.  Saul is told to annihilate the Amalekites and take no spoils but kill everything.  Instead, he saves the best of the animals and does not kill Agag.  The Lord is angered and goes to Samuel and tells him to handle things with Saul.  Samuel goes to Saul and in a nutshell asked him why he disobeyed God and Saul lied and made excuses. In 1 Samuel 15:19-23 for not obeying the Word of God and claimed what he did was to honor Him with the sacrifice of the captured spoils.  He did not say why he saved Agag.

When Samuel said the Lord had rejected him as king, then he panicked and said he had sinned because he feared the people.  He threw it all away over his pride.  He would not sacrifice his popularity by obeying God.

David

David was made King while Saul was still on the thrown and he was a humble man but as he takes the Thrown he too sins.  He falls for another man’s wife in 2 Samuel 11 and has her husband Uriah killed in battle so he can take her as his wife.

He is so blinded by his selfishness God sends the prophet Nathan to tell him of his error in 2Samuel 12 and once he gets it, he falls on his face in repentance.  He turns to God and repents in Psalms 6;32;38;39;40; and 51.  The child dies, and David does not mourn. At the end of 2Samuel 12, he makes a powerful statement.

2 Samuel 12:22-23 (ESV)

“While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ ²³ But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Reflection

Now as I said in the beginning when I receive an answer from God there only two choices obey or disobey.  The former will lead to much better results, but it may hurt feelings or upset others.  The latter may appease men, but who are we here to serve men or God?

When we do make the wrong choice, we have two choices to correct it.  Own the sin and repent before God or blame others for scaring us more than God.

I prefer to own it as David did.  A man that God called, “A man after God’s own Heart.”  Blaming others did not work so well for Saul.

Prayer

Father, thank you for waking me up with your Holy Word this week and putting me back on the path in keeping with Your will.  Lord forgive me for allowing myself to be swayed from your plans and falling into my own choices.  I love you Lord, and I do not always understand the “why” or where for of your plans but I know that your plan is always what is best for me.  I thank you Lord and pray all this in the name of your Blessed Son, Jesus Christ, Amen!