Good morning!
Text: 1 Chronicles 9-11; Ecclesiastes 11
At the very end of 1 Chronicles 10, we find these words regarding King Saul:
“He did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.”
Wow. That seems pretty harsh at first glance – that a man who acts on his own independent judgment without seeking the Lord would be put to death? But, it is true, and it reminds us that any and all whom God chooses and calls to lead God’s own people have a very high standard. God’s leaders are required to have complete surrender to the Lord and utter dependence upon Him – all of the time. In contrast to the indictment of Saul, consider the words of 1 Chronicles 11:9:
“And David became greater and greater, for the Lord of hosts was with him.”
Being tight with the Lord is the key to strength and blessing. Saul is held accountable for his failure to seek guidance from the Lord. David’s blessing comes from the fact that the Lord of hosts was with him. In the first case, Saul’s the problem. But in David’s case, the blessing is all flowing from the Lord.
The Lord wants to bless and empower us. We are the ones who can blow it by taking matters into our own hands. The Lord of hosts is indeed with us. May we live every day in that truth that our witness to His greatness might become “greater and greater.”
in Him, Mike