Dad's Ramblings -- Between God and Mr

"And Samuel said, 'How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.' But the LORD said, 'Take a heifer with you, and say, "I have come to sacrifice to the LORD." ' "
 
                                                                    I Samuel 16:2
 
Samuel was not required to publicly reveal all that God had spoken to him. I have found that sometimes it is best to do like Mary, who "kept all these things and pondered them in her heart" (Like 2:19). It is good to confide in trusted friends. But Tom, Dick, and Harry often do not appreciate nor understand things that God has spoken to me personally. At the least they do not share my passion, and at the worst they react negatively and discourage it. Some things are just between God and me, and I don't have to blab it around.
 
Today's Thought: We are not required to share everything that God has spoken to our hearts.
 
Have a "between God and you" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Fulfilling God's Call

"Now the LORD said to Samuel, 'How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.' "
 
                                                                                         I Samuel 16:1
 
Some people believe that when an individual is called and anointed by God for a certain task that no one else can do it. If that person fails to do it, then it won't get done. I have a bigger view of God's kingdom. No one is indispensable. Anyone can be replaced. If I don't do what God calls me to do, He can anoint someone else. But I miss the blessing.
 
Today's Thought: God's will will certainly be accomplished, whether I am obedient or not.
 
Have a fulfilling day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Our Compassionate God

"And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel."
 
                                                                       I Samuel 15:35
 
God regretted? How can I understand this in light of what the Bible teaches about God? Did Saul catch God by surprise? Did God not know from the beginning how Saul would turn out? Did God make a mistake and say, "Uh, oh"? I know from Scripture that God knows everything (omniscience) and does everything perfectly (perfection). Then what is the meaning of this verse? The Hebrew lexicon lists the possible uses for the word translated "regret": 1) to be sorry, be moved to pity, have compassion; 2) to be sorry, rue, suffer grief, repent. I think the only way to understand it is that God was sorry for His people. They had made a terrible choice when they rejected God's kingship and demanded their own way. Now they are suffering the consequences of their choice. How God must grieve when His people reject His way and go their own way. When His sheep stray, He is moved with pity and compassion because He knows they will suffer the consequences. This squares with what I understand about God. "But You, O LORD, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in mercy and truth" (Psalm 86:15).
 
Today's Thought: God feels sorrow when His people go their own way.
 
Have a compassionate day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- God Remembers

"Then Samuel said, 'Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me' ..... And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal."
 
                                                                          I Samuel 15:32a, 33b
 
This is a gruesome scene. It had its beginning several hundred years before when Israel was traveling from Egypt to the Promised Land. They were ambushed by the Amalekites, who attacked the "stragglers" at the back of the line – the weakest of the people, probably the elderly and disabled or sick. At that time, God commanded Israel to destroy the Amalekites when they got to their new land and emphatically said, "You shall not forget" (see I Samuel 15:2; Deuteronomy 25:17-19). Israel did forget but God didn't. Some may think that because judgment does not happen immediately, time will cover the offense. But God does not forget, lie, nor change his mind (I Samuel 15:19:b). Payday will come. I thank God for the cleansing of His forgiveness through Jesus. I do not have to fear the forgotten past.
 
Today's Thought: What God commands or promises will surely happen even if we forget.
 
Have a remembering day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Power of Other People

"Then Saul said to Samuel, 'I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voices'.... 'I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel....' "
 
                                                  I Samuel 15:24, 30
 
Saul finally admitted his sin. Yet, when you look at it, he still seems to be making excuses – his fear of the people. There probably is an element of truth in his confession. He did fear the people more than he feared God. And he wanted Samuel to put on a show before the people so he would look good in their eyes. Concern for what people think can be a powerful force in my decisions, but fear of God can keep me from sin. So why am I so controlled by what other people think? Shouldn't I fear God who can kill both soul and body more than those who can only kill the body? (See Matthew 10:28)
 
Today's Thought: Fear of God can keep me from sinning.
 
Have a fearing-God day.  Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The "Better"

"So Samuel said, 'Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifices, and to heed as the fat of rams.' "
 
                                               I Samuel 15:22
 
Saul had the idea that he could appease God by works, while at the same time doing his own thing. It's like the man who brings his wife a dozen roses while he is having an affair. The wife may like roses but would much rather have his loyalty. A heart of obedience is better than all the works of piety we do.
 
Today's Thought: "Doing" will never take the place of "being."
 
Have an obedient day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Reality Check

"Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, 'Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.' But Samuel said, 'What then is the bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of oxen which I hear?' "
 
                                                I Samuel 15:13-14
 
We all need a reality check once in a while. When I get to thinking I'm doing pretty good at this holiness stuff, the Holy Spirit speaks to me through the preacher and says, "What about this area of your life?" At that point, I am faced with two options: to repent or to make excuses. Sadly, too often I do a Saul and make excuses. All the praise I give to the preacher – "Great sermon, Pastor!" – will not change my life.
 
Today's Thought: If I listen closely, the Holy Spirit will illuminate areas of my life that
need attention.
 
Have a "reality" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Blame Game

"And Saul said, 'They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed....I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed.' "
 
                                  I Samuel 15: 15, 20b-21
 
What to do when caught? Of course!! Blame someone else! It was my parents' fault, or my genes, or my environment, or my poverty, or (when all else fails) the devil made me do it. Saul blamed the people when he should have said, like President Harry Truman, "The buck stops here." Admitting that it's my fault is difficult. The blame-game may make me feel better, but it does not solve the problem.
 
Today's Thought: Confronting my own failure is better than blaming someone else.
 
Have an "owning-up" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Reality Check

"Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, 'Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD.' But Samuel said, 'What then is the bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of oxen which I hear?' "
 
                                                I Samuel 15:13-14
 
We all need a reality check once in a while. When I get to thinking I'm doing pretty good at this holiness stuff, the Holy Spirit speaks to me through the preacher and says, "What about this area of your life?" At that point, I am faced with two options: to repent or to make excuses. Sadly, too often I do a Saul and make excuses. All the praise I give to the preacher – "Great sermon, Pastor!" – will not change my life.
 
Today's Thought: If I listen closely, the Holy Spirit will illuminate areas of my life that need attention.
 
Have a "reality" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Sleepless Nights

"Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, 'I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned from following Me, and has not performed my commandments.' And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night."
 
                                                    I Samuel 15:10-11
 
The sorrow Samuel felt is like that of a pastor or parent who sees a part of the family turn from following God. Even though Saul had been chosen and anointed (10:1) and had been given a new heart (10:9), and had such great potential, he still had his free will to choose. I know the grief and sleepless nights watching someone I love and have invested my life in make wrong choices – of going his own way instead of following God's way. What a tragedy. What a waste. The only thing one can do is cry out to the Lord.
 
Today's Thought: Great grief is caused by a loved one who turns from following God.
 
Have a "crying out to God" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Half-way Obedience

"Samuel also said to Saul, 'The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD....Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them.' .... But Saul and the people spared Agag...and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them."
 
                                           I Samuel 15:1, 3, 9
 
Saul heard God's word and then did what seemed good to himself, as though he was smarter than God. What makes us think that we can serve God half-way -- that we can pick and choose how much we want to obey Him? God is not pleased with partial obedience, as the churches of Revelation found out: "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot" (Revelation 3:15). King David had the right idea: "Give me understanding and I shall keep Your law; indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart" (Psalm 119:34).
 
Today's Thought: God is not pleased with partial obedience.
 
Have an whole-hearted day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- On Condemning Others

"And Saul said, 'Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today. For as the LORD lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.'...And Saul said, 'Cast lots between my son Jonathan and me.' So Jonathan was taken....Saul answered, 'God do so and more also; for you shall surely die, Jonathan.' "
 
                                       I Samuel 14:38-39, 42, 44
 
When God did not answer (see vs. 37b), Saul perceived that there was sin in the camp. The problem was that he thought it was someone else – not himself. Saul condemned Jonathan, who acted in ignorance when he ate the honey, without considering his own arrogance in requiring the people not to eat. How easy it is to point the finger and condemn others when the problem is really in myself. To his credit, Saul relented and spared Jonathan at the urging of the people, who knew that God had used Jonathan that day (vs. 45). But there is no indication that Saul repented for his own sin.
 
Today's Thought: When God is silent, I need to look at myself first to find the reason.
 
Have a mercy-filled day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- God's Place In My Life

"Then Saul built an altar to the LORD. This was the first altar that he built to the LORD. Now Saul said, 'Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.' And they [the people] said, 'Do whatever seems good to you.' Then the priest said, 'Let us draw near to God.' So Saul asked counsel of God...But He did not answer him that day."
 
                                         I Samuel 14:35-37
 
Saul seemed to have a divided heart. He wanted to look religious so he built an altar and worshiped. But in the everyday decisions of life, God was left out. It was only at the prompting of the preacher that he had an "Oh yeah" moment. Seeking God's counsel was not high on his list of priorities. It was only an afterthought. Perhaps this was why God did not answer. He saw Saul's heart. Lord Jesus, above all I want your direction in my life.
 
Today's Thought: Worship means nothing if I leave God out of the rest of my life.
 
Have a seeking day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Wise Leadership

"And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, 'Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.' So none of the people had taken food."
 
                                               I Samuel 14:24
 
This was a totally irrational demand that Saul made on his warriors. It makes absolutely no sense to deprive an army of the strength they need to do battle. But power does strange things to people. Saul had to stroke his own ego – "...before I have taken vengeance on my enemies." He had become so self-centered that he did not care about the needs of those under him. Woe to the leader – president, pastor, or parent – who is consumed with his own personal agenda at the expense of those he leads. He is bound to fall.
 
Today's Thought: The wise leader takes care of those under his leadership.
 
Have a wise day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Convictions

"Then Saul and all the people who were with him assembled, and they went to the battle...Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the surrounding country, they also joined the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan. Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden in the mountains of Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, they also followed hard after them in battle."
 
                                     I Samuel 14:20a, 21-22
 
Some people have no backbone – no convictions. They only want to be on the winning side.  When things gets tough, at the least they run into the hills to escape the battle, or even defect and join the ranks of the enemy just to save their own skin. They have no true convictions about God, His truth, or His people, and can switch their allegiance at the first sign of trouble just to be on the winning side. God calls us to be strong and stand for truth even in the face of opposition.
 
Today's Thought: God calls us to stand firm for His truth through thick and thin.
 
Have a committed day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Mr. No Name

"Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor....So his armorbearer said to him, 'Do all that is in your heart. Go then; here I am with you, according to your heart.' .........And Jonathan climbed up on his hands and knees, with his armorbearer after him; and they fell before Jonathan. And as he came after him, his armorbearer killed them ....That first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within about a half an acre of land."
 
                                            I Samuel 14:6a, 7, 13-14
 
It's hard to be a no-name. The armorbearer was every bit as brave and involved in this victory as Jonathan. Yet he is not named, despite the fact that the Bible is filled with the names of many other illustrious people – both good and bad. The ministry of helps is just as important as the person who is the leader, but don't expect the crowd to remember your name when you play second fiddle.
 
Today's Thought: God remembers my name even if people don't.
 
Have an "unknown" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- A Few Good Men

"Then Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, 'Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the LORD will work for us. For nothing restrains the LORD from saving by many or by few.' "
 
                                              I Samuel 14:6
 
Numbers are not the issue. Sometimes I fall into the trap of thinking that God's work is accomplished by great numbers of people, and judge success by numbers. But God's work is not always done by the "many" but by the few who are committed to trusting Him and taking bold action.
 
Today's Thought: God is not limited by the number of people involved; He can use a few who are committed.
 
Have a committed day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Swordless Christians

"Now there was no blacksmith to be found throughout all the land of Israel, for the Philistines said, 'Lest the Hebrews make swords and spears.' ... So it came about, on the day of battle, that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people [except Saul and Jonathan]........"
 
                                                I Samuel 13:19, 22
 
A lot of Christians are like the Israelites. They have no swords. They expect their leaders (Pastors) to know the Bible.  But the Enemy of Christ has done a good job of keeping many Believers from having the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17), because he knows it is a powerful tool. Jesus used the Scriptures to thwart Satan in His temptations (see Luke 4:1-13). It is important to keep our Sword honed daily to meet the attacks of the devil.
 
Today's Thought: Christians need the Sword of the Spirit to resist the enemy of their soul.
 
Have a "sharp" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Patience!!!

"Then he [King Saul] waited seven days, according to the time set by Samuel. But Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattered from him. So Saul said, 'Bring a burnt offering and peace offerings here to me.' And he offered the burnt offering. Now it happened, as soon as he had finished presenting the burnt offering, that Samuel came...."
 
                                          I Samuel 13:8-9, 10a
 
Saul presents the perfect example of the impatient person. Saul was under the gun because of the Philistines. His army was deserting him. He needed to show that he was in control. So, instead of waiting for God's timing, he acted out of his own stress. How often I have gotten ahead of God's timeline when under stress. I know that His timing is always right but sometimes it is hard to wait. "Wait, I say, upon the LORD" (Psalm 27:14).
 
Today's Thought: God's timing is not mine, but it is always the right time.
 
Have a "waiting" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Rational vs. Emotional

[Samuel said], " 'Now therefore, stand still that I may reason with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did to you and your fathers; ... Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.' "
 
                                                 I Samuel 12:7, 24
 
The Israelites were living in the emotions of the moment in wanting a king. Samuel tried to reason with the people from the facts of history (vss 6-15). They had not rationally considered the consequences of their action. God does not want us to be ignorant and act irrationally. In fact, He says, "Come, let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18). Believers are accused of being irrational for believing in God, and taking a blind leap of faith. But our faith is not based in emotionalism but in the evidence – the facts – of history and Creation. If anything, athiests (the "intellectuals") ignore the evidence and take a blind leap of faith because of their irrational desire to avoid the concept being accountable to a Supreme Being. That being said, we still serve God "in truth with all our hearts" (emotionally). Without emotions, our faith is dead intellectualism. Think about all the great things He has done for us.
 
Today's Thought: Our faith needs to be rational and emotional.
 
Have a believing day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- A Good Witness

"Now Samuel said to all Israel.... 'I am old and grayheaded.....I have walked before you from my childhood to this day. Here I am. Witness against me before the LORD and His anointed: Whose ox have I taken or whom have I cheated?' .... And they said, 'You have not cheated or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man's hand.' "
 
                                 I Samuel 12:1a, 2b, 3-4
 
What a testimony!!! After all those years of ministry, no one could point a finger at Samuel and say, "You cheated me." He had not abused nor misused his position. I wish that this could be said of me when I am old and grayheaded. The Apostle Paul had this witness: "I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and man" (Acts 24:16). This is a worthy goal in life.
 
Today's Thought: It is a good witness when we end our days without offense toward people.
 
Have a clean day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Mercy vs. Judgment

"Then the people said to Samuel, 'Who is he who said, "Shall Saul reign over us? Bring the men that we may put them to death." ' But Samuel said, 'Not a man shall be put to death this day, for today the LORD has accomplished salvation in Israel.' "
 
                                               I Samuel 11:12-13
 
What is my normal attitude toward fellow-believers with whom I disagree, especially if I am proven correct? It is to get rid of them and consolidate my power base. But it is not so in the Kingdom. Paul wrote to a young preacher, "A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will" (II Timothy 2:24-26). And Jude exhorts us: "But others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire" (Jude 23).  Mercy – not judgment – is God's way. (See also Matthew 9:13 and 12:7.)
 
Today's Thought: Mercy trumps judgment in the Kingdom.
 
Have a mercy filled day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- A Common Enemy

"Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabesh Gilead; and all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, 'Make a covenant with us and we will serve you.' And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, 'On this condition I will make a covenant with you, that I may put out all your right eyes, and bring reproach on all Israel'....Then the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard this news, and his anger was greatly aroused."
 
                                               I Samuel 11:1-2, 6
 
What is my response toward other Believers when they are attacked by the enemy and appear to be compromising with the Devil? Godly anger is a proper response, but it should not be directed toward the victim. My wife, my children, and other people are not my enemy. When I see the havoc and damage and reproach that Satan causes, it should make me angry at him, and cause me to come along side my brother to stand together against our common enemy.
 
Today's Thought: Satan is our real enemy – not people.
 
Have a "godly anger" day. Love you.