March 26, 2025
1 Samuel 15:24-35 (HCSB)
24 Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the Lord’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. 25 Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the Lord.”
26 Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. 29 Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes his mind.” 30 Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the Lord your God.”
31 Then Samuel went back, following Saul, and Saul bowed down to the Lord.
32 Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of Amalek.”
Agag came to him trembling, for he thought, “Certainly the bitterness of death has come.”
33 Samuel declared:
As your sword has made women childless,
so your mother will be childless among women.
Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Even to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted He had made Saul king over Israel.
Cliff Bynum
Do you ever find yourself in the blame game where you blame others, make unrealistic excuses, and/or even have a pity party and say it just isn’t fair? Saul didn’t obey God and made excuses about his decisions. Don’t we do the same at times? Remorse is a horrible feeling. This happens when we make the acknowledgement and confession that we’re wrong in our actions. When God confronted Saul he repented but the remorse was more about the consequences than the sin. We often only change to enhance our image...Punishment is never fun but it’s necessary to help us grow. Sometimes the punishment seems too severe and unfair but is it really? Romans 6:23 reminds us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Therefore, we should rejoice in our punishment just as Paul did while in prison, because even when God is displeased, He still has a plan for us.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for loving us through our rebellious nature. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that gives us the conviction of feeling remorse for our actions so that we know right from wrong. And thank you for not making us suffer the way that we deserve to. In Jesus name, Amen.
24 Saul answered Samuel, “I have sinned. I have transgressed the Lord’s command and your words. Because I was afraid of the people, I obeyed them. 25 Now therefore, please forgive my sin and return with me so I can worship the Lord.”
26 Samuel replied to Saul, “I will not return with you. Because you rejected the word of the Lord, the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” 27 When Samuel turned to go, Saul grabbed the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingship of Israel away from you today and has given it to your neighbor who is better than you. 29 Furthermore, the Eternal One of Israel does not lie or change His mind, for He is not man who changes his mind.” 30 Saul said, “I have sinned. Please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel. Come back with me so I can bow in worship to the Lord your God.”
31 Then Samuel went back, following Saul, and Saul bowed down to the Lord.
32 Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of Amalek.”
Agag came to him trembling, for he thought, “Certainly the bitterness of death has come.”
33 Samuel declared:
As your sword has made women childless,
so your mother will be childless among women.
Then he hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.
34 Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Even to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the Lord regretted He had made Saul king over Israel.
Cliff Bynum
Do you ever find yourself in the blame game where you blame others, make unrealistic excuses, and/or even have a pity party and say it just isn’t fair? Saul didn’t obey God and made excuses about his decisions. Don’t we do the same at times? Remorse is a horrible feeling. This happens when we make the acknowledgement and confession that we’re wrong in our actions. When God confronted Saul he repented but the remorse was more about the consequences than the sin. We often only change to enhance our image...Punishment is never fun but it’s necessary to help us grow. Sometimes the punishment seems too severe and unfair but is it really? Romans 6:23 reminds us that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”. Therefore, we should rejoice in our punishment just as Paul did while in prison, because even when God is displeased, He still has a plan for us.
Prayer: Father God, thank you for loving us through our rebellious nature. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that gives us the conviction of feeling remorse for our actions so that we know right from wrong. And thank you for not making us suffer the way that we deserve to. In Jesus name, Amen.
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