The Imperishable

 1 Samuel 15:10-12

“10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was angry, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

Saul, after defeating the Amalekites in a crushing victory, went to Carmel where he set up a monument to himself in order that his great victory over the Amalekites would be remembered.

By doing this he displayed a profound arrogance.  Instead of recognizing God’s role in this victory, he chose to focus on himself and gave himself the glory.  Instead of remembering God, the people would look at the monument and remember Saul.  In Saul’s eyes Israel was no longer a testament to God but to himself.

We all want to be remembered.  We want something that we do, or something we make, or something we write to live on after us.  But this is a vain desire.  

We always need to remember that the world persistently offers and tempts us with shiny things that look good, but will break down, fade away and be forgotten.  Christians are to pursue those things that are imperishable; the eternal things.

“Time, like an ever-rolling stream, bears all its sons away; they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day.”(O God Our Help of Ages Past, UMH p. 117).

But…

God’s presence, God’s love, God’s word, God’s promise,..........

 endures forever.

May the love of Christ be with you,

Rev. Eric Lanier (Retired)