TUESDAY April 9, 2019
Ready the Troops
So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.
1 Samuel 15:4-5
Saul decided to put on a great show in his preparations to attack the Amalekites. Yet His heart was not with God. Saul was a master manipulator. His actions portrayed obedience to God, but in reality, it was all an outward appearance to look good in front of his men.
Saul had often tried to escape to a place of rest and relaxation. In the previous battle against the Ammonites, he was found relaxing under a pomegranate tree (1 Samuel 14:2). That was not the time to relax! Saul enjoyed the easy way out of things; he never had the heart of a servant.
The problem with Saul was his bad management of people. He brought the kingdom of Israel into bondage. How did he do this? He used the people for himself––they served the king, instead of him serving the people. Saul took from Israel the best of the men to fight his battles. Others took care of his horses, waxed his chariots, and cooked his meals––the people did everything for him (1 Samuel 8:11-13).
There are people in ministry and out of ministry who look for ways to relax and to get out of what they need to do. Then there are others who seem to keep themselves busy, but they actually have not accomplished anything––there is no visible fruit from their labor––they are wasting time.
A true leader feels responsibility for the work God has called them to do. There has to be accountability. We have to be servants, able to carry our cross. The Cross is the symbol of death to self. We all need to learn to die to self. I am telling the whole world, I have taken arms with Jesus Christ.
If you are renewed by grace, and were to meet your old self, I am sure you would be very anxious to get out of his company.
~C. H. Spurgeon~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!