King Saul lost his kingdom in the hill country of Bethel. There and his large army of 3,000 faced off against a Philistine army of 3,000 chariots, 6,000 men on horses, and soldiers “as numerous as the sand on the seashore.” As daunting as the odds were it was not the enemy that destroyed him. King Saul’s destruction came from inside him. He failed for lack of faith.
Saul knew that he needed a sacrifice to God before he could engage the enemy. He waited and waited and waited and yet the prophet did not come. After seven days Saul offered the sacrifice himself. It sounds harmless, but God had already told him to let the prophet offer the sacrifice. (1 Sam 13:13).
He had many reasons for offering the sacrifice:
1. He was scared. He had 3,000 soldiers against a massive army.
2. He was pressured by the people. He said that he saw his soldiers leaving.
3. He was logical. It seemed like the things to do.
4. It wasn’t his fault. His first line of defense was “When I saw that the men were scattering.”
Excuses, Excuses. They are all just excuses.
The truth is far simpler. In the face of overwhelming odds, King Saul did not have faith in what God told him to do. He figured things out the best way he knew how and did not simply trust God. Seeing this lack of faith the prophet told him, “Now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of His people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.” (1 Sam 13:14).
King Saul lost his kingdom in the hill country of Bethel. He lost it because he did not have the faith to do what God told him to do. He thought he had a better way to do things. He though God would not carry through with what He said He would do.
Faith is not faith if it is the result of your own logic. Faith is only faith when it is all you have.
Lonnie Davis
I have CDO. It is like OCD but all the letters are in alphabetical order like they should be!!!
For my legacy I want to hold the title of the World’s Oldest Man!
What’s another word for Thesaurus?
No man goes before his time — unless the boss leaves early.
Dear Santa, this year give me a big fat bank account and a slim body. Please don’t mix them up like you did last year.
“I said I have a can-do attitude…I never said I had a will-do attitude.”
If there was a Pessimist Award, I doubt if I could win it.
These days about half the stuff in my shopping cart says, “For fast relief.”
Sometimes the only difference between a yard sale and a trash pickup is how close to the road you put the stuff.
Someone told me that the word “gullible” is not in the dictionary. I said, “Really?”
Someone showed me how static electricity worked today. I was shocked.
You know you are getting old when Santa starts looking younger.
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy chocolate, which is kinda the same thing.
A Sunday school teacher asked her children, as they were on the way to church service, “And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?” A little girl replied, “Because people are sleeping.”
I changed all my passwords to “incorrect” That way if I forget my computer will tell me.
“Always remember that you’re unique. Just like everyone else.”
The speed of time is one second per second.
I don’t like to brag, but I have a tie from my teens and it still fits.
I intend to live forever. So far, so good.
With the words of this title Jesus taught us about appreciation. He healed 10 men from an incurable, terminal disease. He took away their leprosy. “Go show yourselves to the priest,” He commanded them. As they went, they were healed. Of the 10 men who were healed, only one returned to tell Jesus “thank you.”
Now we come to those words, “Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’” (Luke 17:17-18).
No answers were ever given. None were really expected. If this had happened today in our age of aggressive journalism, we would know at least some of the answers to that question. It might be interesting to hear some of the possible excuses they would have given. Maybe they would have said:
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“I wanted to wait and see if the cure was real.”
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“I wanted to see if it would last. It might come back tomorrow.”
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“I thought that I would probably see Jesus later. I’ll thank him when it is convenient.”
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“I’m not sure that I really ever had leprosy. Maybe it just looked like leprosy.”
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“I might have gotten well anyway. Who knows?”
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“I thanked the priest. They were wonderful.”
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“One said, ‘Oh, well, Jesus really didn’t do anything.’”
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“One said, ‘Any rabbi could have done it.’”
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“One said, ‘I was already getting better anyway.’”
All of these excuses sound real to me. In fact, I could add some that I have used. “I forgot. I was going to but you asked me before I got around to it. Don’t you remember that I already thanked you?”
Thanklessness is seldom acknowledged and usually justified by the thankless one. Remember Jesus was disappointed with the nine. Those to whom you owe a word of thanks may be gracious, but still disappointed. Take a moment to thank someone.
Lonnie Davis