The circumstances of life are not something we trust in.

Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.
1 Samuel 31:1-4 (ESV)

Imagine what Saul might have been thinking at this time. There were moments when masses of people honored him, cared for him, and looked to him to guide and direct them. There were times of celebrating God's provision. There were wonderful times of great hope now dashed against the reality of war. Saul went from being a celebrity everyone wanted to see and touch to one everyone around him tried to kill.
 
The circumstances of life are not something we trust in, for they change without notice and everything we become accustomed to can be gone.  God is the only one who does not change, will never leave us, and will always give us hope.
We see two vastly different scenes if we contrast Saul's ending with Stephen's ending. At the end of Saul's life, he saw the faces of angry soldiers desiring to kill him. Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God the Father.  Saul and Stephen had vastly different experiences as they took their last breath.

What will ours be like? Why?
 




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