The most tragic stories in the sports world are the athletes with all the talent in the world throw it all down the toilet because of the decisions they made. You hear it on the radio, you read it in the newspaper, you get it over your twitter fee: "John, the starting receiver for UCLA, was arrested for drug possession again. Billy, center for the Florida Gators, was kicked off the team for driving under the influence for the third time." And on and on an on....I always ask myself, why do some kids make it and others don't? Why do some kids "get it" and others don't? How can kids with equal God-given gifts, equal talent make a name doing what they love and others are willing to throw it all away? How could they waste the opportunities God has placed before them? I know every athlete and every person makes bad choices, but what does it take to screw up everything God has given you. As I was reading about the lives of Saul and David, these same questions kept coming up. They were both chosen by God to be King. They were both given great gifts and opportunities. They both disobeyed God. So why did God find favor over one and and not the other? Why did one succeed as king and one failed as king?
Let me give you a little background on each one of them...
Saul:
-Dad was wealthy
-He was tall and handsome
-Didn't have a religious background
-very insecure
-He was paranoid
-When he was Chosen to be king, they couldn't find him because he was hiding
David:
-Son of a farmer
-To the eye of people he wasn't anything special which is why God said, "Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart." (That's like saying..."She has a great personality...."
-Grew up hearing about the stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
-When he was chosen to be king, he was working in his father's fields tending to the sheep
-Was called "a man after God's own heart
As we see, they didn't have a lot in common. But it wasn't their differences that made one succeed and the other one not. It wasn't their background that made one a great King and the other one not. It was all about the heart. It wasn't just about their actions (because they both screwed up) but their hearts. It wasn't about their "good" intentions but their hearts. It wasn't what they did, but the heart behind why they did it.
For instance in 1 Samuel 13 before they were going into battle, they were supposed to offer a sacrifice, but Saul didn't want to wait on Samuel so he just did it himself. God was not happy...not because what he did, but why he did it. God knew Saul made the sacrifice, not out of love for God, but because he wanted to win the battle. Saul didn't want God, just victories from God. In 1 Samuel 15, Saul disobeys God when he was suppose to destroy everything in battle, but Saul kept the best of everything for themselves. When Samuel confronted Saul, Saul's reply was "But we were going to sacrifice them to the Lord your God."
Once again, we see there is no personal relationship with God himself...it's "your God" not "my God." He even consulted a Psychic when he felt God wasn't listening. Everything Saul did was about Saul. Even though he was chosen by God to fulfill God's mission...he never fully surrendered to doing it God's way.
If you want to see the heart behind David and his relationship with God, just read the book of Psalms.
"The Lord is my Shepherd, I have all I need...O Lord, I give my life to you. I trust in you,
my God....Show me the right path, O Lord, Lead me by your truth and teach me, For
you are the God that saves me. All day long I put my hope in you...."
When David committed aduletry and murder to cover it up....
"Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great
compassion blot out the stains of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from
my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night....Oh give me my joy
back, you have broken me- now let me rejoice..."
Do you see the heart difference?
Saul pleaded to Samuel
David pleaded to God
Saul sought council from a psychic
David sought wisdom from God
Saul was sorry
David was repentant
Saul was desperate
David was broken
Saul wanted God's favor
David wanted God forgiveness
Saul wanted victories from God
David wanted God
We have all been given the opportunities to do great things for the Kingdom of God. We have been chosen to share in his Kingdom by our relationship with the King of Kings..Jesus. We get to be co-heirs with Christ in the Kingdom of God. Now what will we do with it? Will we hide behind the baggage when God calls us to do something or believe so much in the power of God that we are willing to fight a giant? Will we have so much faith in our God that it covers the insecurities of ourselves? Will we believe that we have been chosen by God when we have been overlooked by people? When we pray, will it be to tell God what we need or ask God what He wants? When we make mistakes, will we make excuses or fall at the feet of God ask to God to not just forgive us, but to change us? Which King will you be....
King Saul OR King David
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