The slow drift of the heart

Dear RockSpring Family!

Have you been continuing in your daily Bible reading and meditation lately? I am currently reading through 1 Samuel and today I reached chapter 14. As I read this passage, I came across a scene that made my heart heavy. More than the story of one man's faith and courage, my attention was drawn to the tragic change taking place in another man's life. That man was Saul, the first king of Israel. Saul was not always this way. In the beginning, he was humble. When he was chosen to be king, he considered himself insignificant. In fact, when the time came for him to be publicly presented as king, he was found hiding among the baggage (1 Samuel 10:22). Yet as time passed, we begin to see a gradual decline in his character and spiritual life.

In the passage I read today, Saul's son Jonathan acts in faith. Rather than focusing on the vast army of the Philistines, he places his confidence in the power of God. Jonathan looks beyond the obstacles and trusts in the Lord's ability to save. Saul, however, presents a very different picture. Even though he is in the midst of the battle, he does not demonstrate the same trust in God. Instead, he seems more concerned with his position and authority. While Jonathan steps forward in faith, Saul remains under the pomegranate tree, observing the situation rather than seeking God's direction. He imposes a rash oath of fasting upon the people, leaving the army exhausted and weakened. Even more troubling is his response to Jonathan. After Jonathan courageously leads Israel to victory, Saul appears unable to fully rejoice in his son's success. When Jonathan unknowingly eats some honey, unaware of Saul's command, Saul is prepared to put him to death. Jonathan had become the hero who delivered Israel, yet Saul gives little recognition to his accomplishment. Instead, he is more concerned that his own oath has been violated. As I continue reading the story of Saul, I see that this attitude eventually grows into full-blown jealousy toward David. Jonathan's victory should have been Saul's victory as well. A wise father rejoices when his son succeeds. Yet Saul viewed Jonathan's success as a threat rather than a blessing.

As I reflected on this passage, I realized that there may be a little bit of Saul in all of us. If we are not careful, after many years of following Christ, we can slowly shift from serving God to protecting our own position, reputation, and influence. We may find ourselves fighting harder to preserve our status than to advance God's kingdom together. Have we ever felt uneasy when someone else's gifts seemed more visible than our own? Have we ever felt threatened when the next generation grew quickly and began stepping into leadership roles? Have we ever cared more about protecting our image than seeing God's work prosper? These are questions we must honestly bring before the Lord. Let us lay down our pride, confess our sins, and come before Christ with humble hearts.

As I have been sharing from the Gospels these past weeks, I have found myself eagerly anticipating each Sunday as I prepare God's Word. The Word of God brings life. Last week, we witnessed Jesus delivering a man who was possessed by demons. This week, we will see an even greater healing take place. Come expecting God to move. Let us bring our weaknesses, failures, and sins before Him, and let us approach the Lord with humility and faith. Come as you are!

Grace and Peace,

Rev. Won Kim

Lead Pastor of RockSpring Church