I am sitting here with the number of things on my to-do list climbing higher than the temperature on a sunny day in Florida. With all these things clamoring for my attention, I say to myself, 'Self, why don't you blog?' I answer with the obvious, 'I don't have time!'
It's a ridiculous problem that many of us find ourselves with. We tell people how busy we are. Yet somehow we find the time to blog, tweet, or text all our friends so they know just how busy we are. I think sometimes we are so close to ourselves (a predictable dilemma) that we don't see the lie for what it is.
It reminds me of a king named Saul. You can read all about his misadventures in the book of 1 Samuel. I think my favorite disaster of his life can be found in 1 Samuel 15.
Saul is told to destroy the people of Amalek. God uses absolute words like 'totally destroy' and 'leave nothing alive'. Seems pretty basic, like even my 6 year old could follow this direction. Half a chapter later, we find God sending His prophet Sam to check up on things.
Saul has left their king alive and some of the choice cattle, presumably to offer sacrifices to God. The ensuing conversation sounds eerily similar to one I have had with my son.
"Why didn't you do what I asked?"
"I did."
"Do you even remember what I asked you to do."
"You bet, dad."
"I asked you to kill everything in sight."
"Yep. I did that."
"Then why do I hear sheep bleating?"
It's comparable to my stepping on a toy that my son said he picked up. How can two sets of eyes look at the same situation so differently? Could it be because God is looking for good and we settle for good enough?
Saul lost it all because of that sin. He was told that his arrogance was evil and unacceptable in the eyes of God. Could we be found guilty of giving it all away, one misstep at a time? I'm too busy to go into that right now...but perhaps we should start by always being honest with God and ourselves.
It's a ridiculous problem that many of us find ourselves with. We tell people how busy we are. Yet somehow we find the time to blog, tweet, or text all our friends so they know just how busy we are. I think sometimes we are so close to ourselves (a predictable dilemma) that we don't see the lie for what it is.
It reminds me of a king named Saul. You can read all about his misadventures in the book of 1 Samuel. I think my favorite disaster of his life can be found in 1 Samuel 15.
Saul is told to destroy the people of Amalek. God uses absolute words like 'totally destroy' and 'leave nothing alive'. Seems pretty basic, like even my 6 year old could follow this direction. Half a chapter later, we find God sending His prophet Sam to check up on things.
Saul has left their king alive and some of the choice cattle, presumably to offer sacrifices to God. The ensuing conversation sounds eerily similar to one I have had with my son.
"Why didn't you do what I asked?"
"I did."
"Do you even remember what I asked you to do."
"You bet, dad."
"I asked you to kill everything in sight."
"Yep. I did that."
"Then why do I hear sheep bleating?"
It's comparable to my stepping on a toy that my son said he picked up. How can two sets of eyes look at the same situation so differently? Could it be because God is looking for good and we settle for good enough?
Saul lost it all because of that sin. He was told that his arrogance was evil and unacceptable in the eyes of God. Could we be found guilty of giving it all away, one misstep at a time? I'm too busy to go into that right now...but perhaps we should start by always being honest with God and ourselves.
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