April 13, 2015 (1 Samuel 14, 1 Chronicles 4, 2 Corinthians 13)
From the Life Journal of Adam Proux:
Scripture: “Then Saul said to the leaders, ‘Something’s wrong! I want all my army commanders to come here. We must find out what sin was committed today. I vow by the name of the Lord who rescued Israel that the sinner will surely die, even if it is my own son Jonathan!’ But no one would tell him what the trouble was.” 1 Samuel 14: 38-39 NLT
Observation: Saul had charged his army with a foolish oath in order to satisfy his burning desire to defeat the Philistines. His command was for them not to eat anything before he had full revenge of his enemies or else they would be cursed. His son, Jonathan, was not around to hear the foolish oath and ate some honey within the midst of the battle to refresh himself. While God was working with Jonathan and fighting on his behalf, Saul was trying to win the battle with his own strength and wisdom. Saul thought this oath would drive his men to make quick work of the Philistines so they could eat! Yet when the foolishness of Saul’s oath was revealed he chose to stand resolutely to his error instead of admitting he had made a mistake.
Application: When we seek God last, instead of first, we greatly increase our chances of making mistakes. When revenge becomes our motivator we are certain to make decisions that will ultimately displease God. Just as in the situation with Saul one bad decision will lead to another. In our haste to satisfy our own desires we can easily bind ourselves, and others, with unnecessary burdens. Our goal must be to please God, not ourselves. We must humble ourselves before God and repent when our foolishness is brought to our attention. Repentance is a privilege made available to us by God’s amazing mercy and grace. It takes more courage to admit a mistake than to hold resolutely to an error.
Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the privilege of repenting. Thank you for your Word that leads and guides with complete wisdom. Help me have the courage to admit my mistakes and learn from them. Help me turn from error and seek justice in all my dealings. Bless my family and keep me from foolish decisions, in Jesus name, Amen!