As a parent have you ever gotten into a tug-of-war contest with a toddler? It’s hard to believe that they can have that sort of strength. But when they are determined to keep something, a struggle can ensue. The thing is, you and I are often like that as well. Maybe not with a toy or a stuffed animal, but it could be with a certain habit, certain beliefs, or even sometimes certain people. We can know that they are wrong or not beneficial to us in anyway, but we just don’t want to let it go. That is the story of today’s Bible text, at least to some degree.
While Saul may have started out as a humble king, it didn’t take long for the power to go to his head. Saul has continued to make sinful decision after sinful decision. And in his latest sinful decision, the Lord said it was going to cost Saul his kingship over Israel. God is rejecting Saul as king. Just for the record, that is not the same thing as rejecting Saul as a person. Even though God was right in rejecting Saul as king, and even though Samuel knew God was right to do so, Samuel was still grieved. Samuel was grieved for Saul, not necessarily because Saul was going to be rejected as king. Samuel saw the deep flaws and the deep spiritual need of Saul. As a side note, I think that is something that we as Christians could learn. We don’t and shouldn’t approve of sinful choices, but we must have compassion for people caught up in their sin. After all, if Jesus hadn’t had compassion on us, where would we be? The problem for Samuel was the he just kept mourning over Saul. He was trying to hold on to what God was removing. This is why God said to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:1, “Now the Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.'” This verse is God revealing the next part of His plan, a new king; a king in the New Testament that would be referred to as a “man after God’s own heart.” What can we take away from this story for our lives today?
I think the biggest lesson for us is to trust God. We need to know that God is going to provide what we need, when we need it. Not only this, but we can trust that God will put the right people in our lives at the right time. What this ultimately means for you and I is that sometimes people and things are only going to be in our life for a season. During that season they absolutely serve a purpose, and they will be used by God for that purpose. One word of caution, sometimes that purpose is to test us and strengthen us in our faith. What I mean is that sometimes God will allow people or things to come into our lives, or better yet we bring them into our lives, and it won’t be good in the short-term. However, because God is sovereign, He can take even what we would consider bad things and turn them into blessings in the long run for us, if we keep our eyes on Him and trust Him. What this means for you and I is this, we must not try to hold on to what God is trying to remove from our lives. If God removes someone or something from us, it is because in His wisdom He knows that we don’t need it. Many times when God removes something from us, He is graciously protecting us from ourselves. Because we often think we know what is best, we make decisions without praying over them. Then, God in His love allows us to experience the consequences, which often can be painful, to teach us to pray before making decisions, and to remind us that only He knows every part of His plan for our lives. So, let’s learn to trust God in His wisdom and His grace, and let’s not reach for what God knows needs to be removed.
By His grace and for His glory,
Pastor Justin