5.14.8 "Sometimes It Costs Everything"

"Sometimes It Costs Everything"

1 Samuel 15:1-16:23
John 8:1-20
Psalm 110:1-7
Proverbs 15:8-10

Who are you most like? Saul or David? I wonder what the majority of people would say when asked to pick between the two? I don't know that there are many out there who list Saul as one of their heros. I find Saul's story incredibly fascinating, however, unfortunately because I find that we are so much like him.

In the readings in the One year Bible the past few days we've seen that Saul has a habit of taking things that are "about God" and making them "about Saul". This is true in the story of the Amalekites in I Sam. 15. The Lord says this to Saul through Samuel, "I have decided to settle accounts with the nation of Amelek... Now go and completely destroy the entire Amelek nation - men, women, babies, little children, oxen, sheep, camels and donkeys." (I Sam. 15:2-3)

Those instructions sound pretty specific, don't they. No, they're not pretty, and it doesn't sound easy, but none the less, the instructions are clear. So how did Saul follow through? He did a lot of killing, but "He captured Agag, the king of the Amalekites, but Killed everyone else. However, Saul and his men kept the best of the sheep and oxen and the fattest of the lambs - everything, in fact that appealed to them. They destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality." (15:8-9)

As we read this a few thousand years later, we shake our heads, and say, "Saul, how could you be so stupid?" We don't realize that we fall into the same trap. We are all jazzed up about walking in obedience, as long as it means destroying only what is "worthless or of poor quality." It's not hard for me to stay away from cocaine because that's what God has commanded me to do. But what about when obedience costs me something I love, or something that appeals to me?

Christians get into trouble when it comes to purity before the Lord because sometimes we actually love the sin too much to give it up. There's "value" to it in our minds. Saul wasn't lacking for sheep or camels. Yet he kept them. His excuse was, "I was afraid of the people and did what they demanded." (15:24)

There may be times that obedience to the Lord will cost everything. We need to remember the quote from Jim Elliot. "He is no fool who gives up that which he cannot keep only to gain that which he cannot lose." Though the sacrifice may be great when we walk in total obedience, it is worth it when we live in the reward of blessing.

When we aren't willing to give it all up, we end up losing it anyway, and we also lose the privilege of the blessing of the obedient life. Saul found that out the hard way. "'Oh, please pardon my sin now and go with me to worship the Lord.' But Samuel replied, 'It's no use! Since you have rejected the commandment of the Lord, he has rejected you from being the king of Israel.'" (I Sam. 15:26)

Oh that we could remember that there is NO cost too great in following Christ. He will never call us to do anything without giving us the strength to obey. There will be a sacrifice. It will be the sacrifice of our desire, our comfort, and our flesh. But it is Worth IT!



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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