| I Samuel 12:1-13:23; John 7:1-30; Psalm 108:1-13; Proverbs 15:4
“Samuel replied, ‘Don’t be afraid. Even though you have committed all this evil, don’t turn away from following the Lord. Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart. Don’t turn away to follow worthless things that can’t profit or deliver you; they are worthless. The Lord will not abandon His people, because of His great name and because He has determined to make you His own people. As for me, I vow that I will not sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you. I will teach you the good and right way. Above all, fear the Lord and worship Him faithfully with all your heart, considering the great things He has done for you. However, if you continue to do what is evil, both you and your king will be swept away.'” (I Samuel 12:20-25)
Israel asked for a king which was considered an evil act because God was their king. The Lord allowed their request however, and Samuel the prophet installed Saul of Kish as their first king. The people were afraid and repented for adding this to their list of sin. I wonder how many of us have an ongoing list of sins that mentally and spiritually keep a wall between us and the Lord. I know I have experienced that wall before. I wish I would’ve heeded Samuel’s advice early on. I wasted a lot of time wallowing in self-pity and regret.
Samuel told the people to pick their heads up and start fresh. Yes, they sinned but they would have compiled it by just giving up. Never let sin swallow you, repent and move forward. Accept that God throws your sin as far as the east is to the west. It’s over. Be serious, be repentant, have godly sorrow, but don’t get so overwhelmed that you feel there is no longer any hope for you. God loves you and wants you to get up every time you fall and to keep fighting till you get it right.
The prophet does issue a stern warning at the end. He basically says that if you make no effort and your heart is not toward the Lord, then you and whatever your king is will be swept away. I don’t want to be swept away; I want to keep pressing in. Well, you ask, how can I get it together? From the scripture above we see the first thing is to fight through the flight instinct by worshiping the Lord. Don’t run, stand and worship. Worship breaks the yoke. Secondly, get others to pray for and with you. Next, get committed to a church so you can be taught “the good and right way.” And lastly, remember the goodness of God and all He has done for you.
PRAYER:
Lord, forgive me of my sins and help me to forgive myself. I pray for a fresh start, deliver me Lord from strongholds that threaten to keep me bound. I yield myself to Your Holy Spirit and expect great changes in my life as I put into practice what I have learned. I love and praise You. In the name of Jesus I pray, amen. |
