1 Samuel 13:12 “I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the LORD’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”
Here we see Saul’s impatience, his desire to be seen in a certain light by the people, his going through the motions when it comes to God. But God doesn’t destroy him utterly. He doesn’t even remove Saul from the throne on which He placed him. Saul reigns for 20 more years, and in that time, had Saul become a man after God’s own heart, I feel certain God would have blessed him.
1 Samuel 13:13a “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you…”
One thing that I am learning in my journey through the Bible is that God isn’t looking for human perfection. He knows that’s impossible. God’s looking for people who pursue Him, who praise Him, who seek Him, who repent and realign when they mess up. That’s doable and brings me great hope.
1 Samuel 13:13b “…if you had, He would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this scripture. Thank You for showing me that You aren’t looking for the strongest, mightiest, most intelligent, or attractive. You are looking for us to seek You first and always, to put You above ourselves, to serve and not be served, to love and not judge. You aren’t asking us to be perfect. You are asking us to be imperfectly Yours, even when we stumble, even when we fail. Thank You, Lord. Amen.
1 Samuel 13:14 “But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.