Then I said, “The Philistines will now come down on me at Gilgal, and I have not made supplication to the LORD.” Therefore I felt compelled, and offered a burnt offering. —
1 Samuel 13:12
Have you ever regretted a bad decision you made and asked yourself over and over again what must have come over you? A couple of years into Saul’s reign, the Philistine army gathered against Israel. This was Saul’s first major battle with their perennial enemies. He was waiting for the prophet Samuel to join him at Gilgal to offer a sacrifice to the Lord. Gilgal is symbolically a place of transition, correction and renewal. This was therefore an important moment for Saul as a leader. But there was a problem.1 Samuel 13:12
The Philistines had 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and an army as numerous as the sand of the sea. It was a scary situation that seemed to get worse with time. Many of the Israelites were hiding in caves. Those that were left following Saul trembled with fright. After seven days of waiting, Saul felt he had had enough. He proceeded to offer the sacrifice without Samuel. The moment he finished, Samuel arrived.
When the prophet rebuked Saul for his disobedience, Saul’s reply was very instructive. He said he SAW the Philistines gather, IMAGINED what they would do and felt COMPELLED to act. These three words provide food for thought about how we often get into sin or error. We first SEE a temptation or situation, IMAGINE a likely outcome and feel COMPELLED to act in a particular way. When that happens, we often end up acting outside God’s express instructions with dire consequences. No matter what you SEE, no matter what you IMAGINE, refuse to be COMPELLED to disobey God.
Prayer:
Father, strengthen me to hold fast to Your word in the face of numerous pressures.Scripture Reading:
1 Samuel 13:8-14
YearOfExcellence
