1 Samuel 31:1-4 - Now
the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled before the
Philistines, and fell slain on Mount Gilbo'a. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his
sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abin'adab and Mal'chishu'a, the
sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard
upon Saul, and the archers found him; and he was badly wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw
your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and
thrust me through, and make sport of me." But his armor-bearer would not;
for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword, and fell upon it.
While David was restoring order to the city of Ziklag…and
renewing his relationship with God…the Philistines were allowed to overcome the
Israelites in battle. Two of his sons
were slaughtered outright…and Saul was wounded so badly by the arrows of the
Philistines….that he feared the torture he might endure when they found him. Immobile from his wounds…he begged his armor
bearer to kill him…but he refused in fear… so Saul threw himself on his own
sword to end his life.
Saul’s life ended the same way he had lived most of it….by
taking matters into his own hands. He
continued his pattern of doing whatever felt best at the time…instead of asking
God what to do. He simply ended his life…void of God…void of remorse for any
wrong he had committed. Saul died at his
own hand…in the silence of his own sin. Saul
died never knowing the difference his life could have been had he ever asked
God to be a major part in it.
My life application Bible commentary seemed to pop out at me
as I read last night. It summarized Saul’s life by making five comparisons between
what one saw when they looked at Saul’s outer body…and what he held important
on the inside. He was tall physically….but
he was small in God’s eyes. He was handsome…but
ugly in God’s eyes. Saul had physical strength…but his lack of faith left him
weak when he needed strength the most.
Saul lived in the lap of luxury….rich in gold and silver…..but he was
spiritually bankrupt. And Saul gave
orders to many…but commanded respect from very few.
I am learning that God has an end for all of us….for I add
to my list of friends and loved ones that have breathed their last breath every
day. Some lived like David and Jonathan and are having some visit in Heaven
while they wait on us….and some like Saul…well from the list above it’s pretty
clear where he is waiting out eternity….and I really don’t want to visit him
there. I want to be where Jesus can give
me that perfect peace…and wipe away my earthly tears…and make me perfect like
him.
I will be honest and tell you that I struggle with just how
much to worry about this outer shell he provided for me to walk the earth. I am average at best….not a ten by any means…and
it seems sometimes I place too much importance on the way I look to others…instead
of strengthening the character that God placed on the inside of me. I find myself applying makeup… getting
haircuts…stressing about losing weight…or dressing in the latest fashion… that
might push my physical worth into the upper range of the ‘pretty’ scale…instead
of asking God how I can polish the inside…and use his love to release a faith
and love that could make a difference in the world.
Father…I thank you for the reminder that my inside is more
important than my outside. Thank you for
the inspired writers that recorded your words for me to find last night…and for
the wisdom in the commentary of my Dad’s Bible that jogged my memory…and told
me to condition my heart and soul more than I do the outer shell you gave me to
walk the Earth. Help me to worry less
about what I look like….what I wear…and how I appear to others on the surface. Show me how to strengthen my relationship to
you so you can build a faith like David…rebuke sin like Jesus….and build a rich
store of scriptures in my mind and soul to fight off any tricks of satan he
might throw at me in the future. Amen.
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