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“Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God” (1 Samuel 12:14, NLT).
Insight
In Samuel’s farewell speech to Israel he again addresses their request for a king to lead them. He recounts their history and how in times of trouble he sent men “to save you and you lived in safety” (12:11). Then Samuel points out their pattern and how they “soon forgot about the Lord their God, so he handed them over…” (12:9) and how they repeatedly turned “away from the Lord” (12:10) and worshipped other gods.
Their king can lead them into battles but he can’t save them from the wages of their sin. He can rally the troops and sound the horn but the real enemy, their rebellion and sin, he can’t defeat.
Samuel goes on to address their personal responsibility saying, “Now if you fear and worship the Lord and listen to his voice, and if you do not rebel against the Lord’s commands, then both you and your king will show that you recognize the Lord as your God” (12:14). So the presence of the king does not exempt the individuals in the nation from respecting, worshipping and seeking God personally. Together they must recognize the Lord as God and that is where their hope lies.
Likewise, we can’t avoid our personal responsibility to honor, worship and seek God on our own. We must receive Him for ourselves. No one can trust God for us nor can anyone worship on our behalf. When you personally draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.
Prayer
Father, I will take personal responsibility for my relationship with You. I will worship, honor and listen to Your voice. Thank you for drawing near to me as I draw near to You. In Jesus name, AMEN.
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Excellent post, Pastor Todd -- especially in light of the conversation you and I had after Faithful Men on Monday night. Everyone is responsible for seeking to get to know God for themselves, and even though new or budding believers might look to some of us who may have walked with the Lord longer than they have for guidance, we should always be encouraging them to seek an intimate relationship with God for themselves and not absolve them of that responsibility by doing it for them.
ReplyDeleteRight on. Every American desperately needs this message. As a nation currently we're so into the quick fix, the easy road, the lottery etc. Wouldn't it be nice if someone else could provide me with all the solutions and security so that I don't have to make any changes or take any responsibility...? Lord help me because I get fired up about this, but it drives me nuts to see people (with great potential) constantly pass the buck to someone else. I feel like as a nation, we are working so hard to make sure everybody gets fish, and doing very little to teach people how to fish. This applies to the church world in my opinion as well. What I love about Faithful Men and a lot of these "emergent" churches that are thriving, is the emphasis on fellowship, mentorship, small groups, personal growth, and ACTION!!! Good word Todd.
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