Tag: Samuel

Called, Changed, Qualified

1 Samuel 9-12

Have you ever found yourself in a position totally unprepared or unqualified? When I was in college for my bachelor’s degree, I took Cellular & Molecular Biology as part of my program to become a secondary science teacher. It just so happened that this was the same course that was required for pre-med students. Somehow, I ended up getting an invitation to join a study group with these pre-med students. After 5 minutes with these people, I realized that they were a completely different caliber of student – I was so out of my depth.

There have been other times in my life when my own inexperience and inadequacies seemed to cast a blinding glare onto the responsibilities that I had to carry out. Even now, after 23 years of experience in education, there are times when I have no clue on how to handle a given situation.

This is how I relate to Saul being approached by Samuel to become king of Israel. His response is that he’s a nobody, from the smallest tribe and his clan is the least of all. How is it that he has been selected to rule over an entire nation?

But isn’t that just like God to do something like that? God seems to select those who are the most unlikely to be successful. Why does He do this? What I have learned, is that it makes me more dependent on God and less likely to take the credit.

Being part of the FUEL leadership team for many years, I have seen time and time again when a situation developed that was bigger than our resources and everything ended up working out because we depended on God. Anyone out there remember the year that we stopped going to Taylor University and started going to Manchester University? Yeah, we weren’t sure if FUEL was going to happen that year. But with a lot of prayer (and hard work by the directors) we were able to gather again because God pointed us in the direction we needed to go. God provided us with exactly the right site, to work with the best conference staff, to continue to return for many years.

I recently read a phrase that I think is appropriate here: “God doesn’t call the qualified; God qualifies the called.” If you’re willing to be used by God, you will find yourself in circumstances that seem way out of your league. While you may not be so confident in your abilities, know that God is more than able to see you through. After all, it’s His reputation on the line and God never fails.

Bethany Ligon

(originally posted for SeekGrowLove on April 9. 2020)

Reflection Questions

  1. How did God prepare and qualify Saul? What do you think was included in God’s “heart change” for Saul (10:9) and the role of the Spirit of the Lord?
  2. From above: “God seems to select those who are the most unlikely to be successful. Why does He do this?”
  3. When have you felt unqualified for a job God sent you to? Did you do it? Did you have a “Samuel” who spoke God’s word to you? How did God change/prepare/qualify you for the job?
  4. How can you be a Samuel for someone else?
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Why You Want What You Want

1 Samuel 4-8

Key verse: 1 Samuel 8:6-7

Somewhere between 2013-2014 my middle school classmates and I saw the appeal of smartphones. We weren’t familiar with all the “modern technology” or the iPhone 5. All we desired was a way to have something everyone else had, play games online with our friends anywhere we went (even though the cellphone towers were much less effective “back then”), access the internet, and message our friends with a few clicks. Unlike many friends and classmates, I didn’t receive a smartphone until I was a junior in 2018. Thanks to modern technology, I had a few other devices to keep me updated and occupied, but it was a blessing in disguise to not have a phone till later on in my life. 

While I witnessed my classmates retract from social situations and face-to-face conversations, I could participate more frequently in social circles and conversations (thanks to what I and many others would’ve called “being bored”). When I finally received my own smartphone, I had been so accustomed to a life without it that I felt like I almost didn’t need it. It didn’t feel necessary to have something everyone else had but I felt the social pressures of my friends and everyone around me. I wanted a smartphone because everyone had one and this wasn’t the only thing I wanted. New shoes, new cleats and spikes for soccer and track, new clothes, a better-looking physique, and more were just a few things I desired because I felt like everyone else had them. However, I’ve learned that what I want (especially because everyone else seemed to have them) is not necessarily what I need. I didn’t need the things I wanted and I’m glad my parents and God didn’t give me everything I wanted.

The LORD had provided for Israel time and time again. However, Israel (like many other people in today’s world and in my school environment) wanted more. The Israelites wanted a king and wouldn’t listen to the warnings from Samuel and the LORD (8:19). Why? Why would they desire someone other than God to lead them, go before them, and fight their battles? The answer is simple, they were trying to compare themselves and “keep up with the Joneses.” It was difficult to avoid comparisons back then, and thanks to social media and smartphones I think it’s even more difficult today. Samuel knew the cost of this decision, but the Israelites wanted a king and they wanted one NOW! So, Samuel went back to the LORD, repeated their wish and desire to the LORD, and the LORD told him to listen to them (v.22). Samuel was given a taste of what God experienced when they asked for a king (v.8). He was displeased and I’m sure he had some questions. Was he not good enough to keep them satisfied? Was he not doing enough to serve on Israel’s behalf (7:9)? However, when Samuel prayed to God, God allowed him to see that it wasn’t him they were rejecting (8:7). The Israelites had everything they needed, but they didn’t have everything they thought they needed. Looking back at my situation, the LORD blessed me and my family with everything we needed, but He also blessed us by not providing everything we thought we needed. They had God, but they wanted a king too. The LORD will provide, but be careful what you wish, pray, and ask for.

-Jeffrey Seiders

REFLECTION Q’s

  1. The Israelites wanted more and desired something other than God. Is there a past or present situation where you want more and desire something other than God? If so, how can you work to return God to His rightful place?
  2. Samuel felt rejected because Israel rejected God. Have you ever felt rejected because someone rejected your faith or beliefs? 
  3. Samuel went to God and prayed when he was displeased with their desires. How do you respond when you feel displeased with the decisions and desires of others? Is that the way you should react? Why or why not?
  4. Unlike many of my friends and classmates, I felt my first smartphone was delayed and withheld from me. How has God delayed/withheld your wants, and why might He keep you from receiving them? What blessing(s) might He be providing to you instead?
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A Parent’s Job

1 Samuel 1-3

The decisions of our family members affect us. Growing up, I attended a public school where many teachers and staff knew my dad. Whether it was because he was working as a substitute, looking for a teaching position, or something else, they knew him and often told me something along the lines of, “You better be on your best behavior because I know your dad.” I’m sure my older brother heard this many times, and I’m not sure about my younger siblings. Regardless of that detail, my younger brother has been called by my older brother’s name before (maybe because of their similar competitive spirit or fast mile times in P.E.). Yet, my siblings and I know very well that if something bad were to happen at school, somehow or someway it would find its way back to our parents (even if it had to be via carrier pigeon). My siblings and I did/do very well at staying out of trouble, but we weren’t/aren’t perfect (and I’ll spare you from those details). 

When my older brother signed up for the morning choir, it changed my school life and routine. I didn’t want to ride the bus, and I couldn’t drive, so the best option was to get up earlier and ride with my brother (and wait until the rest of my friends arrived). At that time, I disliked my brother’s decision very much. However, this eventually led me to become interested in morning choir, learn all the musical parts I could, somehow end up singing in the choir for the last two years of high school and being involved in two musicals/plays. After looking back at my older brother’s decision, I am grateful for it (even though I lost some sleep here or there). Our actions can dissipate and impact the lives of those around us (for better or for worse), and in today’s reading Eli’s actions are no different. 

My parents taught us that our decisions and indecisiveness have consequences. As Laurie Buchanan said, “Whatever we are not changing, we are choosing.” Eli made a few poor decisions that resulted in the downfall of his family before God. We might think that Eli was innocent when we read 1 Samuel Chapter 2, but 1 Samuel Chapter 3 tells us the reality of his situation. He didn’t do anything about his son’s sins nor restrained them from sinning (3:13). He needed to hear from God, a friend, or his wife something along the lines of Proverbs 13:24 which states, “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.” Or, perhaps he knew this concept and simply continued his daily practices disregarding this information (though I think this is more unlikely). Whatever the case may be, Samuel (Hannah and Elkanah’s son) was dedicated to the LORD (1:28) and grew in stature and favor with the LORD and people (2:26). He was the result of his parents’ good decision(s) and didn’t follow in the ways Eli and his sons acted. His parents understood Proverbs 22:6 which states, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it,” likely before it was written. It is important to know the words of God, obey them, and be an example to those around us (even when we think others aren’t looking or paying attention).

-Jeffrey Seiders

REFLECTION Q’s

  1. Eli knew the words of the LORD and yet acted disobediently. Are there times when you’ve acted disobediently even though you knew what God’s word says? What happened as a result of your disobedience? How can you get “back on track?”
  2. Eli’s sons acted as if their father wouldn’t correct them. How have you acted in a way that you thought God and/or your parents wouldn’t correct you? What are the consequences of your actions? In what ways can God teach you through your consequences?
  3. Samuel grew in favor with the LORD and with people. How can you change your actions and mindset to grow in favor with the LORD and bring people closer to Him?
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Two Kings among the Sheep

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 15 & 16

Poetry: Psalm 68 (day 1 of 4)

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 12

We read it yesterday: “If you had obeyed…” 

Saul committed disobedience. But was the kingdom taken from Saul because of one act of disobedience? 

In 1 Samuel 15, God commands Saul, through Samuel, to kill and destroy everything of King Amalek. That is gruesome, but it is the command of God; you will kill all the people and destroy all their stuff. In warfare of the ancient world, after an enemy army was defeated you would take their survivors as slaves, their flocks as property, and their land as your own. To win a war was to become wealthy. But that is not the reason God desires the Israelites to go to war; they go to war because they are listening to the Lord, because he is creating a people for himself, not for their gain and profit. 

Saul disobeys God because he spares a man and the best animals. What our world, our culture might consider “mercy” is considered an act of disobedience. Samuel comes to Saul at Gilgal, and after the Lord told Saul to explicitly kill the sheep, the bleating carries across the hills of the region. After the Lord told Saul to explicitly kill the oxen, their lowing can be heard. Saul had set up a monument for himself (15:12) and even declares that he had completed the will of the Lord! Samuel has to clue him in that in declaring that he intended to sacrifice these animals, he was in fact disobeying God’s direct orders.  

To obey is better than sacrifice. 

To heed is better than the fat of rams. 

The Lord regretted he had made Saul king over Israel. 

However, in the town of Bethlehem, a young boy, ruddy, beautiful, and handsome, also stands among sheep. A young boy who has been slinging stones at predators, not knowing he would need to fell giants. A young boy who is learning obedience, learning hearing and obeying the word of the Lord. A boy, a man, after God’s own heart. 

David. 

Imagine you are Samuel. The last time you smelled lanolin, you had a king crying at your feet, ripping your robes, and it breaks your heart. You had anointed this tall man while he was chasing donkeys, through the desert, but he never truly learned how to be king, how to follow the commands of God. And you grieve.

And now, the boy covered in the smell of sheep walks in through the front door and the Lord speaks to your spirit “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.”

With a sense of irony you realize that you have seen the Lord change the times and the ages. 

He took the kingdom of a king, and he gave the kingdom to another. 

Two Kings among the sheep…

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. Worship and Obedience: Because it is Sunday, there is just one difficult question for you. Today will be or was a day of worship. In Christ, our sacrifice is our heart and our praise to God. (Romans 12, Hebrews 13) However, have you been obedient to God? Have you done all that he has commanded? Are there any broken relationships that need to be mended? Are there any hurts for which you should ask for forgiveness? How can you be obedient to the prompting of the spirit, or to the commands of scripture? Or are you simply “worshipping” God, content that you are giving him something subpar, something less than the obedience he demands? 
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By Choice, By Prophecy, By Lot

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 9 & 10

Poetry: Psalm 66

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 9

Before David, Saul becomes king of Israel. 

How does a person become king? 

Romulus, the “first king” of Rome, supposedly built Rome with his followers and then asked for the consent of the people who lived in the city. I guess being raised by wolves is helpful in courtly duties. 

Arthur Pendragon pulls a sword from a stone, whether his horse was simply two halves of a coconut or Merlin’s owl spoke. 

T’Challa took a heart-shaped herb and fought a Panther I think? I don’t quite remember that movie. 

“Charles the Third, by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories, King, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith”, boringly, inherited it from his mother. 

At least one of those kings is fake, the historicity of two others are greatly debated, and personally, I still have my doubts about Charles. 

How does someone become king?

In 1 Samuel 8:19-20, the people cried out for a king. 

In 1 Samuel 9, Saul is chosen by Samuel. 

In 1 Samuel 10:20-24, Saul is chosen by lot. 

In 1 Samuel 11:14-15, *Saul* is chosen by the people.

So, how did he become King? 

People’s choice award? 

Pulling the short straw?

One old guy’s decision?

Saul’s reign is not because the people demanded it, or because Saul got lucky at dice (or pot shards). God is involved in the process. In 1 Samuel 9:17 is was not Samuel but GOD who chose Saul. 

In every authority, in every government, this is true. “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.” (Rom. 13:1) It is clear that God does not approve of every leader and certainly not of their actions. God lets humans make their bad and destructive choices (including, in democracies, choosing bad leaders). Then he works with, and in spite of, those choices. God works to bring about glory for himself; he works toward the coming of the Messiah and his Kingdom. 

Saul was given an opportunity by God to be a person who would bring God’s plan into fruition. God took Saul from chasing donkeys to ruling a nation. God gave Saul every opportunity to be a ruler “after God’s own heart” and yet Saul chose to disobey. 

Kings, rulers, presidents, emperors are only ruling because God has given them the opportunity; the opportunity to obey or disobey, to listen to his voice and to his commands. The same choice he gives to each of us.

Remember, no matter who sits upon any throne, any seat, or behind any desk…

God is on his throne and in control.

-Jake Ballard

Reflection Questions

  1. Preempting “Godwin’s Law”: “What about Hitler?” “What about Mao?” “What about Pol Pot?” Yes those leaders were truly awful. Still, Paul wrote Roman’s to the people who were in the heart of one of the most powerful, most militaristic empires the world has ever known. Paul died by beheading in Rome, and yet he still was inspired by God to write Romans. What is the Christian response to wicked leaders? How much should we obey leaders who are acting against our values? (Maybe check Acts 5:27-32 to compare to Romans 13)
  2. The Lion from Benjamin?: From prophecy in Genesis (Gen. 49:10), it seems like a Benjaminite should never have been king. We see God chose Saul. Now a question for you to chew on for a long time, why Saul? David was a man after God’s own heart and a descendant of Judah. Was Saul always destined to failure? Why THIS choice? (There is not a clear cut reason in scripture, but having read through this chapter, what do you make of it?)
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1 Samuel – Day 1

Old Testament: 1 Samuel 1 & 2

Poetry: Psalm 63

New Testament: 2 Corinthians 5

People have done so many word studies on the Bible that, based on the translation and the parameters, we know almost everything there is to know about word usage. Take, for example, this link : https://public.tableau.com/app/profile/ken.flerlage/viz/BibleWordAnalysis_0/Books

The guy who made this “tableau” was simply trying to understand all world religions, starting with the Bible; similar to the way someone might analyze the words of a politician to see if they should vote for him or her. What I found fascinating is that if you focus on 1-2 Samuel, the word “Samuel” is used 126 times. The guy the books are named after only shows up that many times, and only a little bit after he dies. I also don’t mean he is *mentioned* after he dies, I mean he literally *shows up*. However, besides “Lord” there is one word used more than any other:

David. 484 times. “Lord” is only used 517. 

Over the next two weeks, we are going to focus on the story of the kingdom of Israel and the earliest part of the story of their kings.

But today, as you read about Elkanah, Hannah, Peninnah, these baby-mamas and their baby-drama, it is important to set the scene for the next few books. The life of Samuel, born to Hannah and raised in the temple, was a time of transition. The people of Israel have been led for hundreds of years (something between 350-410 years) by judges. Judges were men and women who were divinely empowered to rule the people of Israel after they cried out to the Lord. And they ruled well. But the problem, as the Israelites will come to see it, is that Israel is not like the other nations. They wanted a king upon the earth, so that they could look like everyone else. But, in doing so, they rejected God, who was to be the only king who would reign over them.

So, through Samuel, God institutes the first kings of Israel. While this is not the path God wanted for his people (as we shall see), God, ever good and ever wise, allowed his people to make this choice and then used their choice, their rebellion, their sin, to be a way that he would show his glory. He took the people of Israel turning their back on him and worked it into his plan to bring about the Messiah. The judges ruled through empowerment, but the kings ruled through birthright. God indicated that the Messiah would be the child of King David. You have just finished reading Ruth, and God used this Moabitess in order to bring about the Great King of Israel, even the man after God’s own heart. God is in the business of using things we would never think to use in order to bring about greater things than we could ever imagine; he is an artist that strikes the canvas with a color that at first doesn’t look right, but with the right blending, the right technique, and the right eye, turns what seems to be a mistake into a work of art. 

We have two weeks to cover 1 Samuel, the Kingdom of Israel, and King David. 

Let’s begin. 

  1. Comparing Judges and Kings: While it’s true that God did not want his people to have a King (because they were rejecting God’s Kingship), the book of judges itself does not paint the kingship in a bad light. Read Judges 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, and 21:25. Why does the author use the specific refrain we read in those verses? What is the king implied to bring?
  2. Faith History: Jesus’s family tree includes the neglected Tamar, the harlot Rahab, the Moabite Ruth, the survivor of assault Bathsheba, and the many murderers, liars, cheats and swindlers that make up everyone’s family tree. What stories about your history can you bring to the foot of the cross because it doesn’t define you? God does not care where you came from, only the faith you have today.
  3. Personal History: While it should not cause us to misbehave on purpose, it is an encouraging thought that God can take even our mistakes and use them for our good. What are parts of your life that you would like to forget? Parts that when you tell your story you leave out? The power and goodness of our God and the love and grace of Jesus means that even those parts can become cause for joy about what God has done in spite of our evil, or the wickedness or brokenness of the world. 

-Jake Ballard

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Victorious

May 24, 2021 – 2 Samuel 23-24, Acts 21

When David came to power, he had his work cut out for him. Part of his legacy was fulfilling the calling that God gave to the Israelites when they first came to the Promised Land. He was charged with taking the land. He was supposed to be strong and courageous, and over his lifetime, he proved to be a man of strong military prowess who doubled the size of the kingdom of Israel. 2 Samuel 23 describes the men who helped David make that happen. These are his mighty men, the elite warriors who single handedly won battles against the Philistines with God’s help. One warrior killed 800 men at one time with a spear. Another group broke into an enemy stronghold just to get a cup of water for David. Repeatedly, these men are described as strong, fearless. They ‘stood their ground’ against their enemies. When they faced them this way, ‘the Lord brought about a great victory’ against their enemies. 

In Acts 21, Paul is facing strong and terrifying enemies. In fact, he is told what would happen to him by a prophet in verses 11-12 when the prophet describes how he would be tied up and delivered to the Romans in Jerusalem. The people are begging him not to go to Jerusalem, weeping for the bitter end that they knew would come to Paul if he decided to go to the city. Paul shows his determination and willingness to follow Jesus no matter what when he replies: “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” What a mighty and fearless response! Paul may have not been marching into a war with spears and swords, but he knew the spiritual battle he was facing that would have real – and very dire – implications for his health and well-being. But, it didn’t matter – he would do anything for the name of Jesus. 

We need to face our everyday battles with the same determination and strength, resting in the knowledge that God will bring about the victory if we stand our ground. We need to be strong and courageous, because God is right there with us in our battles. We will emerge victorious!

~ Cayce Fletcher

Read or listen to today’s Bible reading at Biblegateway.com: Job 1-2 and 2 Corinthians 2 .

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Inquiring of God – Too Late

1 Samuel 28-31 & Psalm 18

1 Samuel 28 15 NIV

In 1 Samuel 28, we read about the low point in Saul’s life.  The Philistine army had gathered their forces to attack, and Saul was terrified.  He wanted to know what to do, so he (finally) inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him.  He had spent much of his life ignoring God, now it was God’s turn to ignore Saul.

Saul was so desperate to know what to do that he decided to seek out a medium to contact Samuel (who was already dead by this point).  Saul knew this was wrong. In fact, in verse 3, we read that, “Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land.” And now he inquired of one.

Because Saul was head and shoulders taller than everyone else, presumably, the medium knew that her disguised client was really Saul. She suspected it was a trap.  Saul swore to her, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.” Saul invoked God’s name to protect her – in total hypocrisy and defiance against God.

Samuel appeared and told Saul, among other things, “The Lord will hand over both Israel and you to the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me.”

Here are my thoughts on what happened:

1.  Through a direct reading of the passage, Samuel really truly did appear.  It was Samuel, not the medium doing some mambo-jumbo “channeling” sleight of hand.

2.  The medium was terrified by this, and didn’t at all expect this.  (Hence her screaming.) I think she was expecting some hocus pocus as usual, and Samuel really showed up.

3.  Samuel interacted directly with Saul, without “channeling” through the medium.

4.  Samuel spoke the truth, referring to comments he had made to Saul in chapter 15 about God tearing the kingdom out of his hand.

5.  I believe God raised Samuel temporarily from the dead specifically to condemn Saul.  I question whether Satan has that kind of power, or if he did, that he would have used it to tell Saul the truth.

6.  We know that Samuel was a righteous man, and Saul was a wicked man.  When Samuel told Saul that Saul and his sons would be joining Samuel the next day, we can infer that Samuel wasn’t in heaven, because Saul wouldn’t be going to heaven, and that Samuel wasn’t burning in hell, since he was righteous.  This re-affirms that Samuel was just dead in the ground, where Saul was going. (Daniel 12:2 reminds us where the dead are and what they are doing – asleep in the dust of the earth.)

In Chapter 31, we read that all of this came true the next day.  The Israelite army was conquered, Saul’s three sons were killed, and Saul committed suicide.

According to 1 Samuel 28:18, all of this happened because Saul “did not obey the Lord.”

This highlights again how important it is for us to obey the Lord.  We need to get into His word to understand what He requires. And then we need to just do it.


–Steve Mattison
Today’s Bible reading passages can be read or listened to at https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+28-31%2C+Psalm+18&version=NIV

Tomorrow’s reading will be Psalm 121, 123-125 & 128-130 as we continue the 2020 Chronological Bible Reading Plan

Anointing (I Samuel 16-17)

Thursday, October 13th

1-sam-16-7-pic

By Terrence Raper

Saul has some good moments, but eventually fails to follow God. Samuel is tasked with secretly anointing a new king behind Saul’s back. This process for choosing the next king laid out in this chapter has always been interesting to me. God tells Samuel it’s going to be one of Jesse’s sons, and God speaks to Samuel as each one passes by. I can remember God talking to people in the Bible, and I can remember examples of people casting lots. In Chapter 16 it seems like Samuel is doing both in real time. That just stuck out to me.

Samuel’s connection to God in this moment of choosing the next king, reminds me a lot of Paul’s final instructions in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Paul tells them to “pray continually”- Which was “pray without ceasing” in the King James, the original way I heard the scripture. I have always thought of Paul’s instruction in terms of literal and nonliteral. I believe Paul was asking the Thessalonians to be faithful, and prayerful: reminding them it is important to submit to God in all things.I also think Paul was talking about a mindfulness. I don’t mean mindfulness in a new age kind of way. I think Paul was asking them to think of everything in terms of Godly wisdom. I believe this to be a step in the process of obedience to God between belief and actions.
So Saul heard the voice of God in real time. This is not impossible, but it hasn’t been a part of my experience of God. I have had to begrudgingly ask myself what truths do I know about God, and in turn how would God like me to act, react, respond in this scenario. What does Godly wisdom tell me about this scenario?

A Foolish Thing (I Samuel 11-13)

Tuesday, October 11th

 

By Terrence Raper

These chapters really shone a light on how great Samuel was. He was completely blameless.  He even offers a penance for anyone who would have ever had a grievance with him. The tragedy of Samuel’s service to the people of Israel is during his old age. He is forced to step down as leader, and knows that things are going to get very bad.  

terrence tues pic.png

Samuel is still clearly displeased with the choices his people have made. This had to be exceptionally difficult for him. He had lead Israel faithfully, and blamelessly, but they continued to reject him and God. Samuel laid out what will happen to his people, and all the trouble that will befall them. They still refused to obey.  

Nothing is as frustrating or heartbreaking as watching someone you love experience hardships that could have been avoided. I know I have struggled with this throughout my life. I have had to watch people that I love harm themselves in unnecessary ways. I have fought with these people. I have tried giving advice. I have conveyed first hand experience with them of the bad choices I have made. Yet, for some people none of that works.  

1 Samuel 13:13 “You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”