1 Sam. 13-14
I can feel Saul’s angst…the Philistines are gathering against him and the people are getting scared and beginning to scatter. It has been seven days and Samuel has not showed up yet. Things are falling apart fast and Saul is losing control. How often do I find myself in a similar, though arguably less severe, situation, where I feel like I need to do something NOW to prevent disaster? Thing is, Saul was supposed to wait for Samuel before taking the next step. Man, it is SO HARD to simply wait! Especially when things are falling apart. We hate that feeling of ‘losing control’.
Perhaps if we fully realized that we never really had control in the first place, we would not fear losing it so much. But Saul could not let go of wanting to feel in control, and so he acted…against God’s command. The real kicker is what he told Samuel. Saul lost himself in the delusion that he did what he did for ‘godly’ reasons!! He “forced” himself to do the right thing and seek the favor of the LORD before taking on the Philistines….riiiiight. Lord help me to be honest with myself and dependent on God!
What a contrast we see in Saul’s son, Jonathan, and his armor bearer. I marvel at the faith in both of them as they single (double)-handedly took on the Philistines. Jonathan said, “…nothing can hinder the LORD from saving by many or by few” (1 Sam 14:6b). And his armor bearer responded with, “Behold, I am with you heart and soul” (vs 7b). Jonathan laid out an “if, then” scenario and they boldly and unquestioningly carried it out. Would that I had such active faith in my God!
Luke 19:28-48
I wonder about these people who owned the young colt that Jesus rode into Jerusalem. Some men walk up and start untying their colt, and when they are told, “the Lord has need of it”, they simply let it go? Did they know Jesus? Were they aware at all of what they contributed to Jesus’ story or of how God used them to fulfill prophecy? I pray that my heart would be likewise willing to take part in Jesus story, whether I realize the impact of my obedience or not.
I also wonder about that colt. I’m not sure if you are aware, but a colt “on which no one has ever yet sat” is not typically a willing ride. Yet the colt, too, obediently gave itself to Jesus’ service. These are just some of the little miracles that take place in the greater story that often get overlooked, and they just serve to confirm all that Jesus is and al that He did.