And it came to pass, that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him. 1 Samuel 13:10.
God had directed that only those consecrated to the office should present sacrifices before Him. But Saul commanded, “Bring hither a burnt offering;” and, equipped as he was with armor and weapons of war, he approached the altar and offered sacrifice before God…. If Saul had fulfilled the conditions upon which divine help was promised, the Lord would have wrought a marvelous deliverance for Israel, with the few who were loyal to the king. But Saul was so well satisfied with himself and his work that he went out to meet the prophet as one who should be commended rather than disapproved.
Saul endeavored to vindicate his own course, and blamed the prophet, instead of condemning himself. There are today many who pursue a similar course. Like Saul they are blinded to their errors. When the Lord seeks to correct them, they receive reproof as insult, and find fault with the one who brings the divine message.
Had Saul been willing to see and confess his error, this bitter experience would have proved a safeguard for the future. He would afterward have avoided the mistakes which called forth divine reproof. But feeling that he was unjustly condemned, he would, of course, be likely again to commit the same sin
The Lord would have His people, under all circumstances, manifest implicit trust in Him. Although we cannot always understand the workings of His providence, we should wait with patience and humility until He sees fit to enlighten us.
Saul’s transgression proved him unworthy to be intrusted with sacred responsibilities…. Had he patiently endured the divine test, the crown would have been confirmed to him and to his house. In fact, Samuel had come to Gilgal for this very purpose. But Saul had been weighed in the balance, and found wanting. He must be removed to make way for one who would sacredly regard the divine honor and authority.
Conflict and Courage p. 151
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Prayer Requests
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Dear Friends,
When Ronnie Jay was three months old, our house burned to the ground. Thankfully, we were unhurt. That was the most important thing. I was very grateful. There were some things that I missed more than the necessities of life. My musical instruments were gone: so was my collection of piano music dating as far back as 1860. Many of the pieces had been my great-grandfather’s and my grandmother’s. Others I had bought at estate sales and yard sales. They could not be replaced.
As important as the instruments and music collection were, however, I missed my photographs the most. All of the photos of the children, Ron and me, relatives, etc. were gone forever. My mother had just let me borrow her projector and screen and her collection of over 3000 slides. Many of the old photos she had had reproduced on slides. They too went up in smoke. Even though my mother and aunt shared their photos with me, there were still many cherished photos that were gone forever.
Because of this experience, many of the photographs that I have taken since that fire when Ronnie Jay was a baby I have scanned into the computer and put them on a external hard drive.
There is a “photograph” that is priceless, for it reveals the Pearl of Great Price. (Matt 13:46) From the first verse of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation, God’s Great Love Letter reveals Himself clearer than any photo could. It shows how much He loves us even more than He loves Himself, for He left all the glories of the Universe and came to this dark and sinful world. He was born a helpless babe and lived a life of poverty, ridicule, hardship, torture, and death—all because of His wondrous love for us. Its pages are full of evidences of how very close He longs to be to each one of us if we will only let Him.
He, Who spoke through the “holy men of God” (2 Peter 1:21 ) in olden times, desires to speak to us through their writings, but we must open its pages. We must spend time gazing at His “photograph” contained throughout the Scriptures. Our Dear Saviour admonishes, “Search the scriptures…they are they which testify of me.” John 5:39 Finding the Treasure of all treasures in God’s Holy Word, should be our greatest pleasure, our most enjoyable occupation.
He, Who led Abraham from a corrupt city to the promised land, has promised to lead us in the path that we should travel, but we must follow. He says, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” Ps 32:8; Isa 30:21 And even more than this, He will lead us to the Promised Land if we will allow Him.
How precious is God’s Holy Word. How much more we should cherish it than any earthly photo. How important it is to daily set aside time to study God’s Holy Word. How critical to our future. We must open His Book with delight and anticipation of the blessing that He will give us as we study. As we commit His Word to memory, it sustains us in time of trouble. Paul declares, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.” 2 Tim 3:16,17 “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 It strengthens us to remain true to our Dear Saviour both now and when our world is caving in upon us. David says, “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.” Ps 119:9-12
May we open God’s Holy Word each day and see His “Photograph” on every page. May we prayerfully study to find the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) May we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal all of the Bible’s treasures to us is my prayer.
Rose
Found Wanting