Click here to read Saul's Failure (Part 1 of Finding Your Inner David in the Face of Goliath).
Message:
How would you respond if the Lord confronted you of a sin you felt wasn't your fault? Maybe you accidentally walked into a situation, not realizing at the time what would happen. Perhaps a friend had the idea, and you were only there as a witness.
When situations like these happen, we find ourselves in sticky positions. Do we need to confess and repent if it wasn't initially our idea? And if we walked into the situation or had something done to us, shouldn't the other person be to blame?
Saul, King of Israel, felt that he had done his part in fulfilling the Lord's commandment, but it was the people who had failed to obey. When questioned about his actions, Saul told Samuel the Prophet, "I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal" (1 Samuel 15:20-21). From his perspective, Saul saw himself in the right and the people in the wrong.
Sadly though, Saul's pride blinded him. First, he kept the king of Amalek alive instead of fully obeying God. The Lord had explicitly told him to kill everyone, but Saul thought it best to leave the king alone. How does this parallel in our own lives? God may give us His FULL request, but we do part of it instead. We might say, "I'll do anything for you Lord, but this" or "You can have it all Lord, except ___, ____, and ____." The sad part is, we may tell ourselves we're partly obeying God, but really, we're scraping the surface of disobedience.
Saul also saw himself as the victim of something he couldn't control. A victim is "someone who has suffered as a result of someone else's actions or beliefs, or as a result of unpleasant circumstances" (Collins Dictionary). Rather than taking ownership of his people, he blamed them because it was their idea.
But was this something Saul couldn't control? Samuel even said, "Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission..." (1 Samuel 15:17-18). Thus, Saul was given the mission and not the people, causing him to still be in the wrong because he never attempted to correct the people's actions.
Like Saul's situation, we may not be able to control when sinful situations walk into our lives, but we can control our actions. As King, Saul was in charge and had authority over his people- but he bowed more to their desires than to God's. Although we may not be leaders of a nation, we are leaders of our bodies, communities, and organizations. Yet, how often do we strive to obey God's ways but instead bow to their worldly commands?
Like Saul, there are times when we feel like the victim and that it's not our fault. But even in these situations, we need to pray and ask God to show us His perspective. Maybe we partly obeyed or could have done something differently but didn't realize it at the time? Understand that God sees your side! He sees your hurt and pain. He knows. But He is not a God of division when it comes to the body of Christ. He wants us unified in Him and to forgive, even if it means we confess and repent for others' sake.
Reflection:
Think back to a situation you felt wasn't your fault.
Were any of your actions before, during or after unfaithful to God?
Ask God to reveal any to you.
If there are, pray and apologize to Him. Confess for the actions He shows you and pray to turn from those actions.
Have you confessed and repented for the others' actions?
If not, pray right now for what they did. Say "Lord Jesus, I pray for (their name). I confess their actions to me: (state those actions) and pray that they repent and turn away from the harm they caused me. Forgive them Father. In Jesus Name, Amen."
Have you forgiven them for the harm they caused you?
When Jesus was dying on the cross, he said, "forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do." Even when being murdered, our Savior still saw it good to forgive those that hung him on the cross.
Even if you don't want to forgive them, pray to want to forgive them.
We hope you enjoyed. Please comment below and thank you for reading.
Carley Hale is an SAU graduate from West Texas. She currently serves for AmeriCorps VISTA and is a leader for ISI Ministries. In her free time, Carley enjoys reading, going on adventures with her boyfriend Briston, spending time with friends and family, and snuggling with her cat Tux.
You can follow Carley on Instagram @_carleeyyyy_.
You can follow ISI Ministries on Instagram @isi_ministries.