A few weeks ago God spoke to me to begin reading 1 and 2 Samuel. Today I finished 1 Samuel. This book was a roller coaster ride of drama. There were so many principles that applied to my life as each day I read a few chapters. I would go away renewed each time with a fresh annointing of Gods presence and call in my life. And I would feel a sense of excited anticiapation for the next time I could read more of the story. It's not always like this when I read God's book, but when it is I sure cherish it!
When I finished 1 Samuel today I was left reflecting on how the story played out from the fall of Eli the priest and the rise of the first prophet Samuel. The fall of Israel's trust in God as their king to the rise of their demands for a man to lead them. God answered with Saul, a man who trusted in the opinions of the people because he loved the people's love more than God. And then David appears into the story. A humble shephard with the heart of a king. He loved God more than anything else. That's really the book of 1 Samuel...the comparison drawn between these two men, Saul and David.
Before reading this book again I remembered David's exhile into mountains, forests, and caves as a terrifying and lonely time for him, but I wonder now that I have reread this book if it was Saul (living in his castle with his servants and riches) who was exhiled, terrified, and lonely whereas David was rich and powerful and free?! In fact I do, I do believe that's exactly what it was! David followed God down the path of adventure and on that path he formed alliances, built friendships, brought down nations, won 2 lovers, built an army, commanded a legion, traveled the nearby world, experienced cultures, learned to seek God, learned to follow God, observed the consequence of obedience and disobedience to God, gained great wisdom and discernment, got to feel the pride of outsmarting the highest authority of his nation in the name of the Lord, was a champion for families, experienced life in many different environments and not just life but survival or being sustained by the very hand of God.....! Reflecting on all this makes me wonder...what, what are we missing?!?!
Saul trusted in the opinions of his people. David trusted in the Lord, the creator of heaven and earth, the deliverer of Israel, the one who made the sea stand at attention and then swallow up His children's enemies! A picture began to form in my mind! I saw these 2 men as opposite examples. One who trusted in the Lord each and every second, with each experience, no matter what came and he lived an adventure! The other who trusted in the love of people, power, riches, and position and lived fenced in.
I think that all of us Christians naturally struggle with this same issue! We start out getting saved and are excited to live for Christ but then the daily monotony, the daily challenge sets in again and we either become a David or a Saul. The Saul in us wants our life to look like a paint by number but God wants an improvisational and inspirational masterpeice! The Saul in us wants total control but God wants joy and pleasure in the making! The Saul in us strategizes and plans; where God is interpreting the landscape. Gods plan is a roller coaster with twists and turns and drops and swift ascensions. The Saul in us has a plan for a ride on a merry-go-round where we know what to expect: a challengeless state of repetetive diminshed pleasure. God wants to set us loose! The Saul in us wants to fence ourselves in.
My question today, God's question for me and you today is, Do you want to live an adventure or do you want to fence yourself in?
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6, NKJV).
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