The Simple Life

Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him. And Saul's servants said to him, "Behold now, a harmful spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command your servants who are before you to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre, and when the harmful spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well." 1 Samuel 16:14-16 (ESV) There could be nothing worse for an individual or a nation than them turning from God. A tragic historical period begins with, "Now the spirit of the Lord departed from Saul." Saul should have learned from Moses, who understood this, and told God he would not go if God's presence were not with him. So often, we do not recognize the importance of the presence of God in our lives. We live as if His presence is only necessary when in trouble. We often want the benefits of being in a relationship with God, yet not spend time with Him. If God's absence

But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 (ESV) God is not into impressions. He is not to be swayed by looks or rhetoric or bribed in any way. God sees us as we are and what we could be. He knows how and why He created us, and He knows how close or how far we are from achieving what He put us on this planet to achieve. Appearances often sway us. We are often swayed by rhetoric or influenced by cultural trends, ideas, and the popular vote. God is not influenced. He influences. He cannot be fooled and is not tolerant. The people of this day were looking for a King they could look up to, yet they refused to look up to God. The first King, who was a failure, was one of stature who stood head and shoulders above the crowd. He failed. What or who you trust and why you trust them matters.  

And Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you. For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel." As Samuel turned to go away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. And Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you.” 1 Samuel 15:26-28 (ESV) Some teach that God never gives up. This passage would indicate that there comes a time when God does give up, and man loses the opportunities that were once readily available to him. Those who defy God will face a time when God will deny them. God's mercy and grace are abundant and available to all who desire to enjoy Him through His Son Jesus Christ. However, those who deny Him have nowhere to turn. This sounds harsh, yet reality is often harsh. We want to believe that we will always have another chance, and perhaps we will, perhaps we won't. Only God knows.  

And 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 sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king." 1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV) To obey is better than sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrifice. That is the principle taught throughout all of Scripture. Perhaps it's because we either do or do not do obedience, whereas the idea of sacrifice is left up to the individual. In the United States, we sacrifice when we give up watching a football game to serve at a soup kitchen, while in other countries, sacrifice might mean not eating for days, but the idea of obedience is the same in both. Those who do not obey God do not impress God with their sacrifices. It's best not to try to impress anyone; instead, w

And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord. And Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?" Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction." Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night." And he said to him, "Speak." 1 Samuel 15:13-16 (ESV) Liar. Saul is a blatant liar, or he is deceived. Either way, he loses. Saul thought he had a better plan than God had. In his mind, Saul had taken over the leadership of the people from God. Saul must have thought that God would be impressed that he went above and beyond what God asked him to do. God is never impressed when we attempt to do more than we are asked to do. It is the sam

And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." 1 Samuel  13:13-14  (ESV) If you disobey God, you lose. If you disobey God, all those whom you love and influence lose. There is no possible way to have a good ending to life that has ignored God. Saul took leadership into his own hands when he should have been placing it in God's hands. Those in leadership must understand the gravity of their actions. They must realize that an intentional ignorance of God will lead to disaster. In our culture, it is difficult for someone to tell someone else that they have done something foolishly. It would be politically incorre