1 Samuel 16:1
The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for myself a king among his sons.”
Sometimes a change of plans can be difficult to accept. Samuel had invested so much in Saul and all his work would go to waste. At first, God seems like a callous casting director yelling, “NEXT!” But Saul had been the choice of the people, tall and handsome, the very appearance of a king. But Saul had proven himself unworthy. He was a king at first afraid to lead, then stepping beyond the reach of his role. After it was apparent that the Israelites had chosen poorly, God was ready to step in and put the right man on the throne. One described as “a man after God’s own heart.”
God allows us to make our own choices and many times when we do so through the filter of our own sinful perspective, it isn’t long until we see the consequences of our poor decisions. It’s always best to seek God’s choice first, but when we fail to, we don’t need to waste time pondering over the mess we’ve made. It’s time to do what we should have done in the first place, listen to God, and go with His plan. Just think how much further down the road we would be if we had followed Him in the first place.
While using the HEAR method (see below) consider the following question:
- Can you think of a time when you had to turn around from your own plans and go in a new direction that God was leading you?
- How difficult was it to change direction? What was involved?
Highlight – what words or phrases jump out at you?
Explain – what does the passage mean?
Apply – how does the passage intersect with your life today?
Respond – how is God leading you to respond?
Jon Price, Associate Pastor