Found Wanting

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.52Patriarchs and Prophets, 618.

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.53The S.D.A. Bible Commentary 2:1014, 1015.

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.54Ibid., 1015.
Conflict and Courage p. 151
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Prayer Requests
—-Ron is having breathing problems. Please pray. Rose
—-Please we are urgently needing prayer for a hedge of protection to be put around our autistic son and us. It is because of death threats made by a former daughter in law who is a very dangerous person and she is capable of doing anything that is very evil. Please my son is at her house right now so he can see his kids. We have not heard from him since he left our place. I am very worried. Connie
—-Please pray for Chrystal. She is in a bad domestic violence situation and is very discouraged right now. Jennifer
—-Please pray for my grandson he is in the army and wants to be a medic he needs to have a certain grade average by Friday or he has to do it over again. Debbie
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Dear Friends,

When I was a baby, I somehow squirmed out of my mother’s arms and landed on my head. She was horrified at first but after checking me over carefully, she was very relieved that I was alright. It must have affected my balance, however, because I didn’t walk until I was nearly a year and a half. It took me two years to learn to ride a tricycle without falling. No matter how many times I fell, I got right back on and tried again. Because I didn’t give up, I eventually succeeded. Finally, by the age of seven, I could ride it with ease and at ten I could ride a regular bike although I fell a lot. I thought that was wonderful, for it gave me the freedom that I desired. I had recently gone to live with my mother and her new husband and I missed my grandparents terribly. I especially missed my grandfather. Now that I could ride a regular bicycle, I could ride it across Kalamazoo to visit them whenever I wanted.

Just as I persevered in learning to ride my bike until success was mine, so Paul explains that we need to have the same kind of persistence in our spiritual walk. “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” Phil 3:13,14 The Christian walk is a warfare, “for we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Eph 6:12 Success comes through accepting our Loving Redeemer’s sacrifice, through staying close to Him, through perseverance in the Christian walk for “he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” Matt 10:22 Paul urges us to “fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life,” “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Holding forth the word of life.” 1 Tim 6:12; Phil 2:12-16 Nothing should be more important than than daily making sure that our heart is right with our Maker.

Daily, we must give our heart to Him Who promises, “I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye.” Ps 32:8 Daily we must allow Him to lead us, to change us into His image through Bible study and prayer. Paul advises “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.” Col 3:2-10

In following his Dear Saviour, Paul not only “pressed toward the mark” he also forgot “that which was behind:” so should we. How often we fail to forgive ourselves. We ask for forgiveness, but we do not feel forgiven. We try to make things right with those we have wronged, (and we should) but we still feel overwhelmed by our sins. We must exercise faith to believe that His blood has washed away our sins. John tells us, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9 This promise of forgiveness and cleansing is for us to claim daily. If we believe that we receive and we shall receive the forgiveness and cleansing we so much desire. (Matt 21:20)

Although forgiveness is ours, how often we continue carrying a heavy load that our Saviour longs to take away. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Matt 11:28-30 The wise man admonishes, “Therefore remove sorrow from thy heart, and put away evil from thy flesh. Ecc 11:10 Only through faith in our Great Redeemer is this possible, for the evil one wants to keep us oppressed. The devil whispers that we are too great a sinner, so we might as well give up. His plan is to keep us so focused on our past, that we take our eyes off from Jesus and fail to go forward in faith and lose the promised victory.

May we ask for forgiveness for all our sins and then leave the past in the past going forward with our hand in Jesus’ nail-scarred hand “being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” Phil 1:6

Rose