Throughout history, the church has seen its shares of ups and downs, scandals, the emergence of leaders and new moves of the Holy Spirit. Some have fallen away from the faith in each generation.
Many started on fire for the Lord, but the cares of this life have overwhelmed them. Also, they failed the three tests Jesus passed in the wilderness (Luke 4:3-13). The three tests are the pride of life, the lusts of the flesh and the lusts of the eyes (1 John 2:16). Saul had so much potential to be a godly leader, but he sinned and died shamefully as he committed suicide (1 Sam. 31:4). He was a disgrace to Israel and in the sight of God. Saul started off obedient but then fell into disobedience.
1 Samuel 9:3 says, “Now the donkeys of Kish, the father of Saul, were lost. And Kish said to his son Saul, ‘Take now one of the servants with you, and arise, go find the donkeys.'”
Saul was very obedient to his earthly father. When the donkeys went missing, he gladly went on a mission to search for them, making his father proud. However, when it came to God, Saul disobeyed. Perhaps, the title of being the first king went to his head. He wanted everyone to like him and stay popular among the people, so he listened to them instead of God. As leaders, we have to obey God, not man (Acts 5:29).
1 Samuel 15:19 says, “Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? And why did you rush upon the spoil and do evil in the sight of the Lord?”
It’s easy to stumble and make mistakes when you disobey God. Make sure you are reading your Bible daily and praying consistently. And for more encouragement, listen to Warfare Strategies on the Charisma Podcast Network. {eoa}
