“Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be won.”
―West Point Cadet Prayer
1 SAMUEL 13-14
8Now he waited seven days, according to the appointed time set by Samuel, but Samuel did not come to Gilgal; and the people were scattering from him. 9So Saul said, “Bring to me the burnt offering and the peace offerings.” And he offered the burnt offering. 10As soon as he finished offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him and to greet him. 11But Samuel said, “What have you done?” And Saul said, “Because I saw that the people were scattering from me, and that you did not come within the appointed days, and that the Philistines were assembling at Michmash, 12therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not asked the favor of the LORD.’ So I forced myself and offered the burnt offering.” 13Samuel said to Saul, “You have acted foolishly; you have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you, for now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14“But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”(13:8-14)
LUKE 14:1-24
25Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 26“If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple. 27And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
28“Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
31“Or suppose a king is about to go to war against another king. Won’t he first sit down and consider whether he is able with ten thousand men to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand? 32If he is not able, he will send a delegation while the other is still a long way off and will ask for terms of peace.33In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples.
34“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? 35It is fit neither for the soil nor for the manure pile; it is thrown out.
“Whoever has ears to hear, let them hear.”
JOURNAL
Saul's faith was not in God. Saul's faith wavered and and he chose the easier path. Jesus warns his followers of the cost of discipleship.
God had in mind David. But then here is the problem...so it's normal here to try and compare Saul and David. If you make the comparison based on their "sin", then God's favoring of David makes very little sense. David inevitably makes some pretty horrible mistakes...David ends up murdering one of his best friends in order to cover up his own sin and affair with Bathsheba. Looking at it on paper it seems that David is the worst of the two. Saul just seemingly got impatient, whereas David was calculating and committed murder.
I believe it comes down to what they do "right" rather than what they do wrong. Saul seemed to always try and find the easy way, the shortcut. Whereas David continually sought and won the hard moment. While David did make some horrible mistakes, yet when it came down to it, David would choose right in the end. When Nathan approached him regarding his sin...he owned it, and didn't make excuses, he could have had Nathan executed and no one would have ever known. Instead he chose to admit his sin and humble himself before God...the harder right.
Jesus addresses this when he warns the people to count the cost of being a disciple. His question here is "where is your heart and what is your true devotion". This is not a one day in the future, when it's convenient, when I feel like it endeavor. This is a lifetime call to give our best and surrender our hearts to God. Doing so means to live passionately, withholding nothing. It means to moment by moment choose the harder, better "right". It means to not just follow God and obey him when the conditions are favorable, but rather to follow and obey him even when following costs and hurts.
I really believe that is the secret. God promises that ultimate joy and happiness comes from choosing to follow him regardless of the circumstances. I face those moments every single day...do I seek to follow God in choosing the harder right or do I seek the easier wrong and try and justify it. Is my goal in the end to find comfort and an easier life or is my goal to follow God and glorify him in winning the hard moments by choosing the harder right? That's the ultimate question!!
Saul's faith was not in God. Saul's faith wavered and and he chose the easier path. Jesus warns his followers of the cost of discipleship.
God had in mind David. But then here is the problem...so it's normal here to try and compare Saul and David. If you make the comparison based on their "sin", then God's favoring of David makes very little sense. David inevitably makes some pretty horrible mistakes...David ends up murdering one of his best friends in order to cover up his own sin and affair with Bathsheba. Looking at it on paper it seems that David is the worst of the two. Saul just seemingly got impatient, whereas David was calculating and committed murder.
I believe it comes down to what they do "right" rather than what they do wrong. Saul seemed to always try and find the easy way, the shortcut. Whereas David continually sought and won the hard moment. While David did make some horrible mistakes, yet when it came down to it, David would choose right in the end. When Nathan approached him regarding his sin...he owned it, and didn't make excuses, he could have had Nathan executed and no one would have ever known. Instead he chose to admit his sin and humble himself before God...the harder right.
God had in mind David. But then here is the problem...so it's normal here to try and compare Saul and David. If you make the comparison based on their "sin", then God's favoring of David makes very little sense. David inevitably makes some pretty horrible mistakes...David ends up murdering one of his best friends in order to cover up his own sin and affair with Bathsheba. Looking at it on paper it seems that David is the worst of the two. Saul just seemingly got impatient, whereas David was calculating and committed murder.
I believe it comes down to what they do "right" rather than what they do wrong. Saul seemed to always try and find the easy way, the shortcut. Whereas David continually sought and won the hard moment. While David did make some horrible mistakes, yet when it came down to it, David would choose right in the end. When Nathan approached him regarding his sin...he owned it, and didn't make excuses, he could have had Nathan executed and no one would have ever known. Instead he chose to admit his sin and humble himself before God...the harder right.
I really believe that is the secret. God promises that ultimate joy and happiness comes from choosing to follow him regardless of the circumstances. I face those moments every single day...do I seek to follow God in choosing the harder right or do I seek the easier wrong and try and justify it. Is my goal in the end to find comfort and an easier life or is my goal to follow God and glorify him in winning the hard moments by choosing the harder right? That's the ultimate question!!
1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
ROMANS 12:1-2
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