I wanna show you something interesting.
When Samuel called King Saul on the rug for his sin of allowing his soldiers to keep some of the banned war booty and for allowing Agag to remain alive, look at how Saul responded.
He said…
“Now, please, pardon my sin;
and come back with me,
so that I can worship Adonai.”
-1 Samuel 15:25
Now compare this to what Pharoah said back in the days of Moses during the Exodus.
“I have sinned against ADONAI
your God and against you.
Now, therefore, please forgive
my sin just this once;
and intercede with ADONAI
your God, so that he will at
least take away from me
this deadly plague!”
-Exodus 10:16-17
Notice a common theme between the two?
Neither Saul nor Pharaoh were sincere worshippers of God.
They just wanted the consequences of their sin to end.
Pharaoh wanted the plague to end.
Saul wanted to keep his ruling authority over Israel.
What’s particularly scary about Saul’s response is that it’s obvious he had no idea how dangerous his current situation was.
Isn’t it amazing how someone who was once so close to God can reach the point of complete spiritual deterioration?
They often refuse to accept or see their changed fallen state, even if it’s clear to everyone else.
Honestly, this makes me wonder about my spiritual state with God…
And whether I should reevaluate where I stand with the Lord.
Well, that’s your takeaway for today.
I think it’s important from time to time to take a pause and examine our hearts and our attitudes in terms of our relationship with God.
Have you fallen away or has your faith weakened in some areas?
Is there some persistent sin in your life that you struggle with and have not yet completely surrendered to God?
Do you sometimes harbor an attitude of bitterness or resentment towards the Lord instead of gratitude?
Are there people in your life who get on your frickin’ nerves, yet God is calling you to show love, grace, and forgiveness towards them whether they be that cynical atheist at work or a narcissistic parent?
I am guilty of everything I just mentioned above, so I’m gonna be praying about some of this stuff tonight.
I think these are good questions to contemplate for your spiritual growth.
See ya all next time.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“Therefore, my dear friends,
as you have always obeyed—
not only in my presence,
but now much more in my absence
—continue to work out your
salvation with fear and trembling,”
-Phillippians 2:12
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