No more shoulders

Yesterday, when I began reading about David, I got stuck in the first few verses. I had set myself to write about our experiences in Israel but I couldn’t start without sharing what God spoke to me through the beginning of this beautiful Biblical story…

“Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.” And Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears it, he will kill me.” But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you, and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ Then invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what you shall do; you shall anoint for Me the one I name to you.”
1 Samuel 16:1 – 3

Samuel felt the pain of disappointment to know that King Saul did not fear God as was expected, being especially chosen by Him to be the first king of Israel. The disappointment was not only because Saul did not obey, for that could easily be repaired, the problem was his pride. Samuel knew that Saul has just lost everything he needed to have God by his side as soon as he saw Saul’s reaction to God’s disappointment. He couldn’t care less. In fact, Saul begged for ‘forgiveness’ by tearing Samuel’s own garments! What kind of ‘repentance’ is that? Where is the respect for the prophet of God?

Already there, Saul lost God’s presence. That’s why God tells Samuel to stop being sorry for him. Pity could not change the situation of Saul, by the way, pity does not change anyone’s situation. The one who’s wrong is the one who has to change! And if the person does not change and you want to help him or her change, you will only hinder the Hand of God from helping that person.

Sometimes one has to be alone, lose everything, even friendships, to value the presence of God. But there are people who don’t accept this. They condemn this kind of attitude in the church. They like to say ‘Where’s the love between brothers and sisters?’ – I’d like to invite them to read the above Bible passage again and tell me why the Author of Love was the first One to do this!

Some years ago, when we worked in London and the church was still beginning, with a few pastors and pastors’ wives, our unity was very noticeable. I felt at home with everyone, because we were like a family. We had many things in common especially the desire to win souls. But one day, one pastor’s wife did something wrong and was rebuked for it. I felt sorry for her but at the same time, heard a Voice that said ‘leave her alone, she needs it.’ So I prayed for her and left. I did not go after her to see how she was feeling, nor even offer her a ‘shoulder’, not because I did not care, but because the Holy Spirit is the Shoulder she needed. At the time, another pastor’s wife thought this was absurd on my part. Well, neither are in the Work of God today.

Saul also thought to have been wronged. In fact, Lucifer also thought to have been wronged. Look at the ‘coincidence’… all who think they’re wronged do not repent! They like to focus on the ‘injustice’ instead of what they need to do to get out of it.

I’m still reading 1 Samuel 16…