April 12, 2016

A Time To Move On

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” -- 1 Samuel 16:1

How long does it take you to get over something? It’s not a trick question. Everyone is different. But sometimes we can get so caught up in the past, that we can’t let it go and move on.

I’ve always admired people who are able to shake the past off and move on. I’m a clinger until I’m done and then, well, I’m done. For good. What about you?

The prophet Samuel was mourning Saul. The king had gone against God’s instructions so God decided that Saul no longer would rule the Israelites. God is God. When He decides something, that’s it.

Samuel had a harder time moving on. God gave him some time and then pushed him forward. God had things for Samuel to do, like go anoint David as the new king.

There is a time to mourn. There is a time to move on. A sweet friend went through a devastating divorce last year. She struggled mightily. Then she met someone and now she’s remarried. Happy. She has moved on. Will it work out? I don’t know. No one does. But she wanted to move forward and she did. I admire that.

Some people want to dwell on a past they can’t change. They want to rehash it again and again, as though somehow they’ll come up with explanations or a way to change it all. Life doesn’t work that way. We can’t go back. We can’t rewrite the past.

Saul betrayed God. Saul decided he knew better than God and it didn’t work out so well for him. There was no going back. There was no undoing what he’d already done. God moved on and that was that.

Why did God choose David, a ruddy faced boy, to be the next king? Think about it. David was a man after God’s own heart. David’s heart was right. Was he perfect? Obviously not. But David loved God and that, along with confession and repentance, make up for a lot of things.

What are you holding on to? Let it go. Give it to God and then let it go. Sometimes the hardest thing in the world is to move on. And sometimes that’s the best thing you can do.

March 9, 2016

Worship Is About God

But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” -- 1 Samuel 16:7

 

There was one of those sayings going around Facebook the other day about the worship experience. Rick Warren was quoted: The most common mistake that Christians make in worship today is seeking an experience rather than seeking God.

Amen! I could add that one of the most common mistakes church leaders make in trying to grow their congregations is to focus on the performance rather than on the message and warmth in how people are treated.

We’ve had some disagreements at our church about the performance. Yes. That is the correct word. It’s about lights and order of things and length of songs. As one person noted, it’s like they (the committee in charge) haven’t left room for the Holy Spirit to work.

He has a point. Last Sunday there were several people praying at the kneeling benches as communion ended. One man was distraught over his wife‘s recent suicide attempt. The pastor didn’t have a clue because he’d already headed to the back door to tell people goodbye -- well before the service ended. Fortunately, others stepped up and prayed with this man. He was not alone.

That’s as it should be. I don’t attend church to have an experience. Sure. I like the music. And I enjoy the sermons most of the time. I come for God. I want to gather with His people, my friends, my family, and remember how awesome He is.

Don’t get me wrong. I like order. I like sitting in the same seat every Sunday. But I always want to allow time and be open for the Holy Spirit to move.

My Sunday School Class is a little bit different than some of the others. We begin each week with prayer requests and praises. There’s nothing unusual with that. But some weeks it takes way longer than others. There’s something really special about sharing a bit of yourself with people who care. So people bring their hurts, their illnesses, their problems and we pray over them. If the lesson is a little shorter than I’d planned, oh well. People are more important. It’s a lesson I learned from Jesus.

Attending services on Sunday morning is about God. We worship our Savior and Risen Lord. We invite the Holy Spirit into our midst. That’s what it is all about.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Patience Wins The Day

"David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers." -- 1 Samuel 16:21

I want it right now. It doesn't matter what it is. I'm not patient. I don't want to wait while I learn and grow and do without whatever it is I think I've got to have. I want to skip all that stuff and get to the good part. Now.

Sometimes I think I hear God say, "Not now, child." In my saner moments, I'm glad He holds me back at times. My tendency to rush forward has caused me much trouble over the years.

David wasn't like me. He waited patiently after God chose him as king. He even served Saul as his armor-bearer. He soothed Saul with his hard-playing when an evil spirit tormented him. And he refused to kill Saul even though Saul tried to kill David. Can you imagine serving the man you're going to replace, a man who is so jealous that he'd rather kill you than let you take his job? I'm not sure I could have done that. I would have wanted to lash out andd estroy Saul before he destroyed me.

But David trusted God to keep him safe and to deal with Saul in His own time and in His own way. I wish I could be so wise. The truth is God does take care of things. He really does. None of us truly get what we deserve. That's what we forget sometimes as we seek vengeance on someone who has wronged us.

We want God to forgive us when we sin. We want Him to overlook our own issues and focus on those belonging to someone else. We are human after all.We want to push aside our own flaws and make excuses for them. We don't want others to have that same right. But we would do better to follow David's example and be patient. We should stay focused on doing God's will and let Him take care of all the details in His own time and His own well. Funny how that is. He truly does know best.