Love That Never Fails

56. Unchangeable

Throughout 2020 we have all witnessed much change as COVID-19 has swept across the world. Leaders and health authorities have battled to save lives and livelihoods, often changing their minds about the best approach the tackle the problem.

One of the issues that has led to unwanted outbreaks has been people's unwillingness to obey the guidelines and rules which are set for everyone's safety! It's a universal problem and not just during a pandemic! People want to do their own thing rather than humbly obeying authority.

We see this as we continue to follow the story of Saul who became King over Israel.  After starting out okay, he wanders from the clear instructions God gave him. Whenever the Israelites defeated an enemy, they were not to take plunder. God did not want His people to associate themselves with any of the wickedness of the idolatrous nations. It was a clear rule for their benefit but sadly, Saul thought he knew better! 

"Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: "I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal."

When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord's instructions."

But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?"

Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."

"Enough!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied. Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.' Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?"

"But I did obey the Lord," Saul said. "I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal."

But Samuel replied: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.""
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭15:10-23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Saul's position had clearly gone to his head as he set up a monument to himself. He forgot to do things in the Lord's Name and strength! He also thought he could bend the rules and keep some of the enemy's animals for sacrifice! Samuel reminds him that obedience comes first, even before sacrifice!

Perhaps this is an area we all need to pay attention to. We can get a little complacent as we know that Jesus has already died for all our sins, taking the punishment for us at the Cross! However, that does not mean we can just do whatever we like! The writer of Hebrews was clear about this:

"If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?"
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10:26-29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The thing we need to remember is that God has not changed His mind about how bad sin is. He loved us enough to send Jesus to die in our place so we wouldn't have to endure eternal rejection and separation. However, we shouldn't take advantage of the fact we are free from our sins. Our unchangeable God gave us commandments for our own good. We must not reject any part of His Word!

"Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord."

But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!"

As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a human being, that he should change his mind.""
‭‭1 Samuel‬ ‭15:24-29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What a sad outcome! Take time to consider how you are walking in obedience. Is there any area of your life where you have tried to write your own rules? Are you unsure of what you need to obey? Read the Word for yourself and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any area of obedience that needs attention.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
‭‭James‬ ‭1:17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Let's pray:

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for being the one thing in life that never changes! I am so grateful for Your love and grace, however I do want to honour and please You by the way I live. I ask that You show me any area where I have been making up my own rules or falling into the way the rest of the world lives........................ I am sorry for every occasion I have spoken, thought or acted in a way that displeased You. Jesus I want to honour Your sacrifice for me by obeying the new commandment You gave:

""A new command I give you: Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.""
‭‭John‬ ‭13:34-35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Today I choose to humbly walk in love —love for You and for others too. Because I love You with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, I choose to live in obedience.

For Your glory,
Amen.