1 Samuel 12:20-25 - "Do not be afraid," Samuel replied.
"You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the
LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Do not turn away after useless
idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because
they are useless. For the sake of his great name the LORD will not reject his people, because the LORD was pleased to make
you his own. As for me, far be it from
me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for
you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right. But be sure to fear the LORD
and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing
evil, both you and your king will be swept
away."
Samuel addressed the people after he anointed Saul to be
king. He wanted it made clear that the
choice to have a king provide leadership to Israel …was not his own. He wanted to try one more time to help them
see that God had been their king….and provided all they needed….when they
followed God… and not their selfish flesh. He wanted to help them understand
what a great sin they had committed… against a God who had done so many good
things for them. He wanted them to understand that they were still to follow
the laws of God…even though they had sinned in asking for another king to rule
them.
One great thing about his speech is it confirms that God is
a forgiving God. He allows us our
moments of weakness….even uses them to build us into better people. He calls us to admit our sin to him…ask his
forgiveness… then he washes that sin right out of our hearts...even does miracles
in our lives despite the sin we committed. The scar from the sin remains in
plain view of our heart…not so we will fear God’s judgment….but so that we will
remember what he has healed us from…so that we will fear losing his love and
care over our lives.
Samuel ended his speech with a reminder to love the Lord
with all our hearts…to follow him faithfully…to refrain from any more evil in
our lives. Samuel knew it was a daily battle…against the nature of our sinful flesh…that
is inclined to follow the ways of the world…instead of God. He had learned from
his birth that he must walk in the spirit every day. Samuel had learned how to
overcome the temptations of satan when they were presented to him.
Samuel knew ..as did Paul…that the way to overcome sin was
through following Christ with our whole hearts and soul and mind. Paul even said he had crucified his flesh...just
like Christ was crucified for our sins on that cross. Paul’s words in Galatians 5:16-24 says it
better that I …. “ So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will
not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary
to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature.
They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the
Spirit, you are not under law. The acts of the sinful nature are obvious:
sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and
witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,
dissensions, factions and envy;
drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before,
that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But the fruit of the Spirit
is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have
crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
Pick out the sin you battle most with…they are all
there. Paul left nothing out of the list…even
the one I battle the most is there. The phrase ‘selfish ambition’ hits me in
the face every morning…and I must turn to God to defeat it each day. Of course I am like those Israelites more
than I am Samuel or Paul…but God’s spirit is always there with me…and brings it
to my attention when I let it get a foothold….and his loving mercy covers me
with his grace and blood and washes that sin right out of my life again…the
scar bringing to my heart a remembrance of all the good things God has done in
spite of my many sins.
Thank you God for your grace and mercy in my life. I thank you that I never have to worry about
being good enough to earn your love…for you give it despite my unworthiness. Thank you for reminding me to keep battling
the sins in my life and ask you to forgive them. Thank you for using each sin to change me
into a new creature…able to call on the spirit to guide me …..to help me …to
put away the sins that threaten to separate me from you. Build me into a strong
person…like Paul and Samuel… that followed you with all their heart…all their
soul…and all their minds. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment