Here and Now...and Yet To Come

"Do not be afraid," Samuel replied. "You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all you heart. Do not turn away after useless idols. They can do you no good, nor can they rescue you, because they are useless. Of the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own. As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the say that is good and right. But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all you heart; consider what great things he has done for you. Yet if you persist in doing evil, both you and your king will perish."

Israel finally realized that by asking for a king they were essentially turning their back on God. Samuel encourages them to continue serving. After all, God had chosen them and he wasn't giving up so why should they give up?

A lot of times it seems really easy to call it quits. It appeared that Israel had completed one of the biggest blunders they had ever committed. They just keep failing. But that's the cycle isn't it. Fall down, get up. Valleys and peaks. It's seems so cliche but it's the truth. Can we see the Forrest from the trees? Once we are on the peak do we look back to see how beautiful the valley really is?

The Israelites went on to win several major battles under the leadership of Saul. But as the story continues the inevitable happens. They fall down again, but that's life. We fall down and we get up. God has chosen us. He has called us his own. He isn't about to give up on us. Why should we give up on him?

Adam