1 Samuel 12:19-24 (MSG) Then all the people begged Samuel, "Pray to your GOD for us, your servants. Pray that we won't die! On top of all our other sins, we've piled on one more—asking for a king!" 20 Samuel said to them, "Don't be fearful. It's true that you have done something very wrong. All the same, don't turn your back on GOD. Worship and serve him heart and soul! 21 Don't chase after ghost-gods. 22 There's nothing to them. They can't help you. They're nothing but ghost-gods! GOD, simply because of who he is, is not going to walk off and leave his people. GOD took delight in making you into his very own people. 23 "And neither will I walk off and leave you. That would be a sin against GOD! I'm staying right here at my post praying for you and teaching you the good and right way to live. 24 But I beg of you, fear GOD and worship him honestly and heartily. You've seen how greatly he has worked among you!
How many of us can identify with the people of Israel? We screwed up and disobeyed God and we know it! In fact, we feel like we have screwed up one time too many and we have crossed the line where God is now going to say, “That’s it! I’ve had it with them, I am done with them. No more Mr. Nice Guy!” We have a picture of God as petty and punitive and that makes us believe that when we blow it, the relationship is over. Let's be honest – we know we would be done with anyone who did this to us! So, with that understanding of God, we hide. This is reminiscent of what Adam and Eve did because they believed the lies of Satan.
“Adam where are you?”
“I’m hiding because I am afraid…of what You will do to me!”
We hide from God when we sin and believe that we have taken Him to His limit, so we stop trying to please Him anymore. We say things like,
“Might as well quit serving Him because I don’t want to be a hypocrite.”
"I am broken, therefore God does not want me nor can He use me."
We turn away from Him.
Samuel understood that the people were feeling this way and he gives them advice that applies to all of us who sin against God and want to run away and hide because we are fearful and ashamed. He says, "Don't be fearful. It's true that you have done something very wrong. All the same, don't turn your back on GOD. Worship and serve him heart and soul! Don't chase after ghost-gods. There's nothing to them. They can't help you. They're nothing but ghost-gods! GOD, simply because of who he is, is not going to walk off and leave his people. GOD took delight in making you into his very own people.”
Yes and amen!
Don’t be fearful!
Don’t run from Him run towards Him!
He loves you deeply.
He takes delight in calling you His own.
Instead of running from Him come to Him and worship Him with honesty and with passion. Did I mention He loves you! God is amazing at taking the broken and redeeming it. There is an old song that says, "Something beautiful, something good. All my confusion, He understood. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful of my life.”
As a leader of God’s people, I am also challenged and convicted by Samuel’s response. “Hey guys, if God won't forsake you then I will not forsake you either. If God can forgive you then I will forgive you. I will stay at my post praying for you and teaching you the good and right way to live.”
Don’t run away from Him – run towards Him.
Don’t be fearful of Him – be faithful to Him.
Just as He forgives you and gives you second/third/ fourth/70x7 chances, do the same for those around you.
I wonder what our reputation as people of God would be if we lived that way?
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