2 Chron 34:27
Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before God when you heard his words against this place and its inhabitants, and you have humbled yourself before me and have torn your clothes and wept before me, I also have heard you, declares the Lord.
- Humility is so important. God heard, because he responded humbly. How have you responded? God, help me to respond humbly with a soft heart. Help me to be ready to change what needs to change. 1 Thess 5:17.
- Funny that this is the problem caused by those around him, yet he responds with humble repentance. Saul got called out on his own sin and blamed the people. He was proud and didn’t take responsibility for his actions. God, help me to be humble and repent for my mistakes and those I represent. Don’t let pride slip in and stop me from your will. Help me to be humble, seeking you all the days off my life. Help me to be humble enough to receive correction, regardless of how its administered. Help me to lay down my pride and my need to defend myself. I want to recognize my failures and change, not blame. God have your way in me. Ps 141:5.
Matt 25:26
26 But his master answered him, ‘You wicked and slothful servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather where I scattered no seed? ESV
-God is not a fan of excuses. He didn’t pardon the lazy servant on account of him being afraid. He heard him making excuses and then the Lord called him wicked. An excuse says that you don’t think your own behavior is acceptable, so you try to explain your unacceptable behavior.
-When we make excuses it tends to place the blame to something external so we don’t have to take responsibility or change. Those who make excuses won’t grow because they say it was someone else’s fault, there is nothing they can do, or so they claim.
-Am I making excuses? Prov 24:12. God help me to take responsibility for my actions. I want my every action to honor you, and if something isn’t then I want to change and do better.
- Wicked, lazy Prov 26:13;
Ps 51:1-3
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. ESV
- David starts out this chapter by acknowledging his sin. He doesn’t blame anyone else he just says he knows his transgressions. He knows his sin. He repents and asks God to forgive him and make him clean. This act separates him greatly from Saul and from most people for that matter who want to blame others for their mistakes. We to need to admit and repent. . Gen 3:12; 1 Sam 13:11-12; 15:13-28; 2 Sam 12:13; Prov 24:12; Prov 28:13;
1 Sam 13:12
12 I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the favor of the Lord.’ So I forced myself, and offered the burnt offering.” ESV
- Saul’s excuses continue. As he moves on he states how because of Samuel being late and the people leaving he was forced to do what was forbidden. This is in no way shape or form his fault or even a sin in his eyes. He has no intent of changing. When you get confronted with your sin, or mistakes do you look for a reason you don’t need to change why it wasn’t your fault, or how you can change to prevent it from ever happening again?
Deut 1:6
6 “The Lord our God said to us in Horeb, ‘You have stayed long enough at this mountain. ESV
- We often keep walking around in the same problem. Deut 2:3; There are a lot of problems not cured by time. They take a change in action. As long as you keep doing the same thing you will keep getting the same result.
Gen 3:11-12
11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate. ESV
- Blame came with Sin. The first sin had the blame passed from Adam to Eve to the Snake. No one wanted to own up to it, they all just wanted to show God it wasn’t their fault. Prov 24:12; Then we see Cain blow it and get questioned in Gen 4:9 he denies his sin. And then claims he can’t handle the punishment. Apparently taking responsibility for our actions doesn’t come naturally. In John 5:1-8 Jesus talks to the cripple by the pool and he blames his lack of help for not being healed. When we refuse to take responsibility for our action, and claim it is someone else’s fault, we don’t change, we don’t get free. As long as it is everyone else’s fault there is nothing we can do to fix it. 1 Sam 13:11-12 shows Saul’s refusal to take responsibility for his actions. Saul goes so far as to say he had to force himself because of everyone else’s mistakes. While David showed us a very different example Ps 51:1-2; and 2 Sam 12:13. David and Saul’s different responses to being told they blew it brought different reactions from God. The one who made excuses received punishment, while the one who acknowledged his sin received mercy as is promised in Prov 28:13.
- Lord, help me to admit my sin and receive your forgiveness. Lord don’t let me make excuses to continue in my sin.
Amos 7:2-3
2 When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out,” Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!”
3 So the Lord relented.
“This will not happen.” The Lord said.
Whoa! Talk about the power of prayer! Amos prayed (which means he spoke to God) for the nation of Israel and God not only heard his cry but changed things to honor his prayer.
God help me to remember the importance of talking to you and please help me stay sensitive to be able to hear your voice. I pray for our nation, that You will forgive our sins and that You would draw this nation to You and give us all a hunger and thirst for You and for Your word.
Prov 26:11
11 As a dog returns to his own vomit, So a fool repeats his folly. NKJV
- Lord let me learn from my mistakes.
Prov 26:12
12 Do you see a man wise in his own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for him. NKJV
- [Prov 29:20; Luke 18:11; Rom 12:16; Rev 3:17.] AMP
- If you don’t admit your mistakes you are doomed to repeat them. Can you admit it when you blow it or do you make excuses? An excuse is your reason not to change, why it wasn’t your fault so you don’t have to change. (Prov 16:18) much of the problem in pride stems from refusing to admit flaws.
Phil 3:12
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. ESV
- Not even Paul had arrived. This is a journey are you pressing forward? We need to be pressing forward. That means if you are just sitting and aren’t growing things aren’t right. What is challenging you and causing you to grow? How are you growing closer to God? God recently challenged me on this. I was spending regular time with him but not the kind of time I needed and I really wasn’t growing. Upon getting this challenge I had to change some of the things I do or don’t do. Do you need to change anything? Are you growing?
