1 Samuel 31
Scripture
1 Samuel 31:7
“When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. So the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns.”
Observation-What does it say?
The Philistines have attacked the Israelites. They just finished killing Saul's three sons and now they are in hot pursuit of Saul. Saul would rather kill himself than be caught, taunted, and tortured by his enemy. So that is exactly what he does. After his armor bearer refuses to do Saul's "dirty work" for him, Saul does it himself. He falls on his own sword, killing himself. Soon after, his armor bearer follows Saul's lead and does the same. Once the people of Israel see all these things going on, they begin to flee and abandon their towns.
Understanding-What does it mean?
As Christ-Followers, we are called to lead. Whether it is leading our family, friends, neighbors, or even the people we work with, we are called to be leaders. We have to lead by example.
Saul's lack of leadership, the way he led his people by example, was the reason the people of Israel were put into this predicament. Saul's non-existent relationship with God had an affect on his own people's relationship with God. Saul's willingness to just give up in life (kill himself) when times got tough, reflected poorly on the people he was leading. His armor bearer followed his lead in committing suicide, his remaining army began to flee, and the Israelites started to flee and abandon their towns when things were getting too difficult.
Life Application
What kind of leader am I? What kind of example am I displaying to those I am supposed to be leading?
As Christ-Followers, we are not exempt from difficult situations. As a matter of fact, we should expect some hardships. But it is how we handle ourselves during these difficult times that is important. We have to remember that we have people watching us. They want to see how we react to life's difficult circumstances. It's easy to give praise to God when everything is going well for us. But it is during our hardships when our faith is tested-(Read the story of Job for example). So when those times come, how will I react? What will I do? Will I flee and cower in the sight of danger? Or will I stand firm in my faith, having confidence in God's plan and love for me.
Father God, help me to be mindful of my actions today. Help me to be obedient to Your will. Help me to live my life in such a way that causes others around me to want to follow my lead. May it bring these people into a relationship with You. In Jesus name I pray these things, Amen.
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-Moses Gaddi