Scripture to Read: 1 Samuel 15:1–9
Saul had started out somewhat well in his role as king, but then, he began to make decisions on how he felt at the moment. God knows we face challenges every day of our lives, and when those challenges hit, if we’re not guarded, we will default to our fleshly feelings and desires just like Saul did. Our feelings are real and also very powerful. God warns us in Ephesians 4:26–27, “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not give the devil an opportunity.” Anger is an emotion that God has given us. Just like all of our other emotions, they must be held in check as we submit to God’s Holy Spirit in us. God mentions anger, for anger can quickly destroy us and those around us, but that is true for any unguarded emotion/feeling. We see Saul make another decision to outright disobey God in 1 Samuel 15:1–9. God used the prophet Samuel to give Saul a command to attack the Amalekites and completely destroy them and everything they had. God told Saul to destroy the men, women, children, infants, cattle, sheep, camels, and donkeys because Amalek had opposed Israel when they came up from Egypt. Saul gathered his army, then struck the Amalekites and defeated them. But Saul chose to capture King Agag and keep the best of the sheep, cattle, lambs, and goats. Saul only destroyed despised or unfit animals. Saul disobeyed God’s command and did what was right in his own eyes.
Challenge & Application
Who was Saul in submission to (who was he serving) and what do you learn from Saul’s decisions?
Why does God warn us about making sure all of our emotions/feelings are under His control and not our own?
Don’t forget to pray using the A.C.T.S. (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication) method!