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1 Samuel 12 (click here to read the scripture)
If you have been leading a team of people and you’ve grown quite fond of them but knew that your time with them was coming to an end, what would you say? If you knew they had fixable problems but needed to stay the course, how would you encourage them? That’s what’s happening with Samuel as he addresses the people of God here in this chapter.
This is one of my favorite messages in the Old Testament. Samuel’s speech is intense and gives us a brief history of what has happened in the history of the people of God beginning in Egypt, noting the time of the Judges, and then drawing to the time of Samuel’s leadership. In his speech, Samuel reaffirms his credibility with the people so they will listen.
Then Samuel takes note of the people’s evil as they reject the kingship of the Lord in favor of an earthly king. But even here, Samuel points the people to the love and grace of God and calls the people to be faithful. Look again at verses 20-22.
I also love Samuel’s heart for the people as well. He won’t stop praying for them, caring for them, and instructing them. Even during their self-realized rebellion, Samuel is still committed to standing in the gap for them. We can almost hear the rise of Samuel’s voice from anger and heartbreak because of the actions of the people of God and at the same time a sigh and a quieting of his heart because of his love for the people.
But what Samuel is doing here is pointing to the grace of God. It would be easy for us to just focus on the way the people of God had blown it again and again.
But. . .
God’s grace persists;
God’s love and mercy still overflow;
God’s forgiveness is still available.
That’s Samuel’s point. The grace of God is still there and available to the people if they would turn to the Lord and seek Him. The same is true for us. You and I fail every day and it’s all too easy to get caught up in the negative and think that you can’t go back, that things will never change.
But…
God’s grace is still with us. We are His, we are created in His image, (Genesis 1:26-27; Luke 20:24-26) and the Lord longs to redeem us. That’s why Jesus was born. That’s why Jesus lived. That’s why Jesus died on the cross and that’s why He lives still! God’s grace is poured out on our lives and we can be in a right relationship with Him if we turn to Him. There’s nothing that we can do to earn God’s grace or win His favor. It’s God’s great love, His free gift to all who will simply come, found in Christ alone.
The question is, will you accept it? Will you turn your heart to the Lord and pursue Him with all that you are? That’s the exhortation that Samuel was making to the people and it’s the same for us today (verse 24).
There is nothing so terrible in your life that the forgiveness of God can’t touch. Why not let His love and forgiveness overflow in your life today? All you need to do is simply turn to the Lord, confess your failure, and follow Him with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.
God bless you as you wrestle with this today and know that you are constantly in my prayers.
Scott
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