What are the things that capture our focus? Is it possible that these things which capture our focus can eventually capture our hearts? This morning I was spending time in the first book of Samuel, and in particular chapters fifteen and sixteen. As I read and reread and then sat and prayed to the Lord about what I had read I thought of my focus. Often it might be easy to read these stories of the Bible and quickly say, “Oh wow, that Saul really made a mistake, what a fool.” That may actually be a warning to us, place on our hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Also, as we read in these fifteenth and sixteenth chapters of this first book of Samuel what are the thoughts we have of Samuel? He was faithful, without a doubt. He faced moments of discouragement as he was the one who at the command of God had anointed Saul for the kingship. He felt a responsibility for this and now he felt the responsibility for Saul’s falling away from the leadership of the kingdom. How easy it would have been for him to simply “pack it in,” and wallow in self-pity. That is not what we he did. He was God’s man in that in that he was obedient and faithful to the call on his life. But why would such a strong man of God have to deal with the problems of Saul? As we read just maybe the dealing with the problems of Saul almost distracted him from the grace and power of God. Samuel listened and went from seeing the Spirit of God leave Saul to seeing the Spirit of God arrive in and on the life of a small shepherd named David.
Have you ever lost the focus of God’s will on your life? Sometimes all it takes is a few words, a disturbing event, a nasty email, or a personal setback and the focus wavers. The focus of our lives is about achieving God’s will and being obedient to Him. Is not the focus to be about loving God and loving our neighbors? For further information on that check out Matthew 22:34-40. Here we might say is the “key point.” Why do we do the things that we do? Saul made mistakes beyond what we can even fathom. Are they really beyond us? “For you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you” (1 Samuel 15:26). Okay, go ahead and say it, “I don’t reject the word of the Lord, that Saul was really a problem.” We have all uttered some sort of statement like that, and we may all have said, “Well that is the way God acted in the Old Testament.” God has never changed, He loves us dearly, but He requires obedience. I am so happy for God’s grace and the saving sacrifice of Jesus. God has always been clear it is about the obeying of His voice and not about the external actions that we do (1 Samuel 15:22).
Do not lose your focus on what the Lord has called you to do. Do not lose your focus to God’s will. Maybe you have been protecting what you perceive to be your worldly authority or position, maybe you have lost your focus in trying to protect a worldly tradition, or maybe your focus has been challenged as others question your obedience to what God has called you to do. Samuel was challenged and yet God spoke to him asking him about the length of his grieving, but simply setting him straight with the direction to “go and do what I desire” (1 Samuel 16:1).
Thank you, Lord, for giving us the direction that we find in Your Word. May our lives reflect what You have called us to do. May we never lose our focus on Your Will. I prayed these words this morning but instead of “we” the word “I” was there. Thank you, Lord!