Saul #3

It finally feels like Fall. It rained yesterday and leafs were falling & the sound of the rain was soothing. We walked & saw deer and wild turkeys & spoke of returning home to Guatemala on Friday.

Saul worked so hard to show God he cared but his disobedience was similar to many church folks who think that it is what they DO that is important to God. We do not choose our own work for God. Saul was no priest yet he acted as though he was.

It is here in Saul’s life that we first hear “obedience is better than sacrifice”. You and I do not just live our lives in disobedience to God. We know better but we do camouflage our actions. I am referring to knowing the will of God and only partially obeying Him.

It was disobedience that caused most of the Israelites to die in the desert. God had told them in Deuteronomy 28 that if they obeyed they would be blessed and if they disobeyed they would be cursed.

Saul thought that he could choose his own way to worship God. But if God calls you to a ministry then obey. If you are called to be a deacon do not think you are called to be the pastor. If you are called to sing then sing and do not sit. Whatever He has talented you with you need to obey. It is not about the praise of men but the satisfaction of the Lord.

Jesus said, “If a man loves me, he will keep my word” (John 14: 23); he will do God’s will. There are times I struggle with heaviness and depression and I remember a simpler time where I pastored a church of 50 or in Guatemala when it was just Dottie and I with 60 kids.

But I know that the only true difference I can make is to obey His call on my life. It is not always easy but it is always necessary.

With the impatience of Saul causing God to remove the kingdom from his hands The Spirit of God leaves Saul forever. He and his sons would die in battle and one of those sons was Jonathan.

Jealousy took over Saul after David killed the giant Goliath. He attempted to kill or to have David killed but failed each time. The hand of God was no longer with Saul it was now with David.

Samuel had died and Saul who was still not seeking Jehovah went to a medium, a witch or clairvoyant and summoned the spirit of Samuel from the dead. The spirit tells Saul that within 24 hours he and 3 of his sons would die and they did.

When we do not repent of our sins as Saul refused to do there will be consequences. We may hide sins from others but God knows and if necessary will reveal them in His time. Saul lost all the blessings he could have, should have had from God.

He was large on the outside but morally and spiritually he was small on the inside. He looked like a king. Many of us know how to “look like a Christian” but the inside is not that clean.

Finally obedience and confession of sin were two of the major failures in Saul’s life. Obey and be blessed! Disobey and face the consequences!