Tuesday, October 8, 2024

1 Samuel 15:10-11

1 Samuel 15:10-11 

  There are situations that are simply tragic.  The people wanted a king, and so God reluctantly agreed to give them a king, despite warning them that it wouldn't end well.  Here we are, not much later, and it's not ending well.  Saul doesn't follow the commandments of God, and the people are suffering because of it.  What I appreciate is Samuel's devotion.  Samuel is the prophet, and he serves as the intermediary between the people and God.  Samuel sees the pain unfolding, and he weeps for the people, and he weeps for the brokenness in the people and in their relationship.  Samuel sees where things are going, and he weeps.
  When we see the heartbreak in the world, may we care enough to do the same.  It's easy to be callous, to stop seeing the ways the world is broken, to not notice how much pain there is.  We all have enough on our plate, we don't want to take on the suffering of others.
  But that's not the kind of life we are called into.  We're called to be in relationships with people around us, and to let the things of the world break our hearts the same way they break God's heart.  May we continue to care deeply about the people in the world, that we care enough to be involved, to pray for solutions, and to work for peace.

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