When It Looks Real
Blue v7-14 Ch 13 1 SamDownload | Duration: 00:03:58
v7 Saul was in Gilgal with his fearful troops. v8 He waited 7 days, the time set by Samuel, but when Samuel didn't show the troops began to scatter (v14) so Saul decided to break God's command by doing Samuel's job of offering up the burnt offering to (v12) seek the LORD's favor so he could win in battle. Saul looked at the circumstantial facts which convinced him to make the wrong decision.
Facts Are Real1.) Samuel - a no show - didn't keep his word by showing up
when he said, or so it seemed.
2.) Saul's troops already afraid.
3.) Troops scatter because nothing is changing except the
fact that enemy troops are now gathering together to
come after them & they still have no plan.
4.) With Samuel not there to seek God's Favor & Direction,
which still needed to be done ASAP, especially now that
Saul's troops were bailing out, Saul compromises and so
does this himself.
v12 I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering. (He felt compelled because the troops put pressure on him... you better find out what we're going to do or we're out of here and you can fight this war by yourself because we don't know what Samuel's problem is but he's taking way too long to get here!)
Saul acted on a feeling that circumstanial facts were providing. Saul set aside his faith that trusted in God's truth & commands to accomodate circumstantial evidence (the pressure and fear of man). Saul acted on a feeling of stress not on a feeling voice from God's inner Holy Spirit, but from the fear of what his own eyes were showing him ...loss, losing acceptance, losing the war and promotion of being king that he was just promised, and the negative feeling of having something taken away from you. Feelings so strong that Saul began to use logic in the wrong way because whenever we make decisions out from something that is causing fearful feelings it will always be the wrong decision.
Once Saul compromised the faith & truth he knew to obey, fear did more than present a story or option to believe in, it got away with leading him astray by having him take matters into his own hands as soon as enough pressure was placed on him so he would want to cave in.
When fear is painting the story we must continue to wait on God no matter that it feels uncomfortable or like we are losing. The real fact is, we are not, as long as we accept the times when even God will allow pressure to test us. By holding on to what we know to obey even in the face of feeling like people are leaving us, money is disappearing fast, or whatever it is, as long as we wait and sweat it out if necessary, everything will come back to our favor with the place of peace in God. Saul only needed to hold out a little longer because it was in the next step that Samuel showed up.v13 keep your faith - keep your kingdom
v14 lose your faith - lose your kingdom
No one is exempt from the war on testing~ How to know what faith you have if it is never tested?
Faith is a gift, and it's already inside you (Ep 2 :8).
Yielding to faith is a matter of will (Deu 30:19).
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