Re:Verse reading–1 Samuel 16. (Day one)
“How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him?”–v 1.
Samuel was heartbroken by Saul’s failure. The old prophet genuinely loved the young king. Had been a passionate and prayerful supporter. Those days were now over.
With great patience, the Lord allowed Samuel the time necessary for mourning. Time to grieve. Time to recover. (Compare the Lord’s kindness to Elijah in 1 Kings 19)
Eventually, however, it is the purpose of God for Samuel (us) to accept/release what is lost and move forward with faith. “Weeping may come in the night, but joy comes in the morning”–Psalm 30:5.
A new and hopeful sunrise is coming for Israel. A new king will soon be anointed and God wants Samuel (us) to be a part of it.
Lord, give courage when this call comes to me to count as loss things that were gain, and to do so for the sake of Christ! (Philippians 3:7)
Our failure for “not meeting the mind” or “failure to understand expectations”, or “failure for not following directions” will carry undesirable consequences, including appropriate disciplinary actions and removal. Our failure can be the result of disconnection.
When we have reasonable standards for certain things and when things go wrong, we may definitely feel angry, frustrated and disappointed. Failure to obey an order from someone with a legal authority and power for rewards and punishment can be disastrous to our overall economic and social standing. Failure to follow God’s instructions or commands will definitely bring punishments down the road if not seen immediately. The impact of not following exact instructions or directions can be felt beyond reasonable measures and may bring personal or professional destruction for the rest of our lives.
There is always too much room for something that we say to be misinterpreted, misunderstood or to be incorrectly implemented. When someone we care about, or love, and deeply engage in personally, socially or professionally, and genuinely support for his or her success fails our reasonable expectations, we will definitely be dissatisfied and will develop a strong sense of denial/unbelief, of reasoning then acceptance of what was and will be.
In life, unintentionally or intentionally, people will fail us or we will fail them. Life on earth is temporary. Life in Heaven is permanent. How to live our lives is our personal choice, knowing that there will be rewards for the right choices and punishments for the wrong choices. Right or wrong, moral or immoral will be determined by our ethical and spiritual foundation, respectively. God is the judge at the end. The question is how we handle our disappointments in a way that will help affected parties grasp the lesson learned, build better understanding, peace, and comfort and help move forward gracefully.
It is always painful and heartbreaking when we have to use an unpleasant disciplinary measure against someone we have supported to begin with. We can mourn, grieve and move on. Give ourselves as much time as needed to mourn and to grieve for the disappointment and to recover from it.
I could imagine how hard it could be for Samuel who loved Saul, and was a passionate and prayerful supporter of Saul. Those wonderful days for Saul were ended as the Lord finally rejected him. Disobedience of God’s instructions comes with a punishment that can never or will never be overturned by humans or by the people court. I could not agree more, “it is the purpose of God for Samuel (us) to accept/release what is lost and move forward with faith.” Moving forward with faith will help heal what is lost and accept reality.
Obedience brings peace and joy; disobedience brings chaos to life and spiritual sufferings. Compliance with laws (earthy or spiritual) is the right direction to have a happy and stress-free life. Self-serving will lead to disobedience and will create disconnection with God. Saul disconnected with God; Samuel connected with God. I chose connection with God. How is about you?