CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

Redefining God’s Word began long before the many “revised-perversions” of today were ever published. In fact, it seems to quite popular in the lives of most Christians. We tend to search for “loop holes” in the word of God so that we can justify our way of life. When we cannot find them, we just “redefine” the words. That way we can say it doesn’t apply to us, or “we’re not convicted that way.” Incomplete obedience is still disobedience. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. This is something that I see as a constant reoccurrence in the life of King Saul. 

When you read First Samuel chapter nine, the Bible tells us that there is no one “goodlier” than Saul. It calls him an honorable man. Later, in chapter eleven, the Spirit of God came upon him. With all this, it would seem that Saul was set, ready to be the king. Yet, his beginning does not match his end.

I. Saul’s Disobedience (I Sam. 13)

Saul had reigned for only one year when he openly disobeys the law of God by performing a task that was only to be done by the priest. Thus God judges Saul by taking his kingdom from him. The throne would not be handed down to any of Saul’s sons.

II. Saul’s Defiance (I Samuel 15)

Saul is given specific instructions by God to destroy all the Amalekites and he openly defies him. Even when approached by Samuel, Saul blames the people instead of taking responsibility for his own actions, or lack thereof. (v.21) For his complete defiance he is rejected from continuing to be king. (v. 23-26) God had to use Samuel to do the job that he instructed Saul to do. This rebellion evens caused his relationship with the man of God to come to an end. (v. 31-35) It grieved Samuel that Saul had disobeyed God. Saul never sees Samuel again until his death.

III. Saul’s Deceitfulness (I Sam. 18, 19, 20)

Saul realizes his days as king are numbered. He begins to do everything in his power to retain his throne. He begins to be envious of David and openly tries to kill him several times. (18:9-15, 28) He tries to use his daughter, Michal, to snare David. (18:18-30) He even uses the friendship of his son, Jonathan, with David to try to destroy him. (19:6) Saul is sinking low, very fast. He begins to pursue David in order to kill him.

IV. Saul’s Distress (I Sam. 28)

Saul finally wearies of chasing David. And now he has come to point where he needs help in a battle he is about to face. He enquired of the Lord, but the Lord does not answer. The Lord had departed from Saul long ago. Proverbs 28:9 says, “He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be an abomination.” 

Yet Saul is so delusional that he seeks the help of a witch so that he can talk to Samuel. Saul’s mental process was so affected by his sin that he actually thinks he get Samuel to change God’s mind. (v.15-16) But it is to late. Hearing the judgment that is to come sickens him to his stomach and he refuses to eat.

V. Saul’s Desperation (I Sam. 31)

Saul had defied God and disobeyed his commandments for far to long. Now in a time when he needed him most, the Lord would not hear him. Psalm 66:18 says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.” He has just heard that he and his sons are going to die, and there is nothing he can do to save them. Saul has to watch as his sons die in battle, and it is his fault. Can you imagine being a parent, knowing your child is about to die, and there is NOTHING that will save them? Personally, I do not believe that Saul asked the armourbearer to kill him because he feared what the Philistines would do to him. (v. 4) I believe the guilt of his own son’s deaths was so great that he WANTED to die. His son’s were gone and it was HIS fault.

When I was growing up, and I would tell my Daddy I loved him, he’d say, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” (John 14:15) Isn’t that the way our relationship with God is too? God loves us, and we know it. But how does God know that we love him? I John 3:22 says, “And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.” How in the world can we as parents expect our children to love and respect us, if they see us openly defying God and disobeying his word? And how could we as parents take our children’s health and well-being (whether physical or spiritual) so lightly that we would not want to be as close to God as we can possibly get? Who do our children have to be an example of a Godly walk with Christ if they do not have their mother and father? I am not a perfect mother, but the thought of my child’s life being at stake, and the only thing that can save them is me being able to get a hold of God’s ear, makes me want to try.

Isaiah 59:1-2 “Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither is his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

Only Believe

In Numbers 13, we read about that time when Moses was commanded by God to send twelve men to search and spy out the land of Canaan. Their job was to bring back a report about the people of the land, whether strong or weak, and about the land itself being fat or lean. And they also were to bring back some of the fruit of the land. Forty days later, they returned. They spoke of how the land flowed with milk and honey. They held up the grapes for all to see. The clusters were so big that it took two men, carrying it on a staff between them, to bring it back. I can imagine their faces all wide-eyed, as they spoke of this and the people “oohed & awed” over the fruit. Then they used a word that turned the peoples excitement into fear…”nevertheless.” The men began to speak of great walls, and strong people, such as the children of Anak, who were apparently like giants! Also, the Amalekites, the Hittites, Jebusites, Amorites, and Canaanites, Oh my!!! They said that these people were too strong for them, and they were “in their own sight” as grasshoppers to these people! Now the people were scared. And they began to murmur and complain, and even cry. Can you hear them? “Oh, woe is us, why didn’t God let us die in Egypt? Why not let us die in the wilderness? God brought us out here just so he could watch us die by the sword! Maybe, if we hurry, we can make it back to Egypt before supper.” That last part is a little exaggerated but you get the point. 

The children of Israel had seen countless miracles:

1. Plagues that fell across Egypt, yet they were kept safe.

2. The Red Sea swallowed up Pharoah’s army, while they walked across on DRY land.

3. Quail rained from the sky when they were hungry.

4. Water came from a rock when they were thirsty.

5. God led them by a cloud during the day and a pillar of fire by night.

6. Not to mention the numerous battles they had already won thus far.

How does someone who has seen all this, go into Kadesh-barnea, and see the fruit, even hold it in their hand, NOT believe that the same God can give them the land of Canaan??? Well, when you read Numbers 14, you will find that their disbelief in God’s power, as well as his promise, caused them to lose a lot!

1. LOST THEIR LAND (14:23)

2. LOST THEIR LEADERS (14:24-30)

3. LOST THEIR LITTLE ONES (14: 31-33)

Though they ALL had to wander in the wilderness for forty years, still it was only those who believed, and those who were innocent, that were able to leave the wilderness and enter the promised land. 

Hebrews 6:4-6, “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, If they fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame.”

I remember a day when I realized that I myself was not headed to “the promised land.” Of course, I am referring to Heaven. I was thirteen years old. Our pastor was out of town and my Daddy preached both services that Sunday. Sunday morning he preached on Hell. I was scared to death when I realized I was not born again. Yet, I hesitated to go forward because I was the Associate Pastor’s daughter. I had always professed to have been saved and yet here I was, realizing that I was lost and on my way to hell! Being raised in a Christian home, I had seen the miracles of God, and had even shared in his blessings through my parents. How I made it through the afternoon, I will never know. God’s grace is all. Not even telling my parents (because I felt so ashamed) I sat through another service. This time Daddy preached on the Second Coming of Christ. I thought the invitation would never come. As soon as he said, “Let’s stand.” I beat it down the aisle as fast as I could. I remember begging God to save me from my sin and from hell. I remember the relief when I stood before the church that night and made my salvation public. I was just like those Israelites who had seen the mighty hand of God work wondrous miracles yet refused to believe he could conquer this land for them. I wish I could say that I have never doubted the Lord’s power, nor his ability to conquer all enemies, whether physically seen or not, but I cannot. Over the years, I have allowed valleys, trials, struggles, even people, to cause me to wonder or fear whether God really could do what He said. I thank God that He is a better Father to me, than I am a child to Him.

To Whom ever may read this page: 

Don’t be guilty of standing at the threshold of the “Promised Land” and refusing to take God at His Word. God has the power to save you, cleanse you from your sin, and KEEP YOU that way. Only believe and you will see.

Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Happy "Groves Day" To Me!

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, "When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to  pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better it is that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay."

Today I celebrate the 17th anniversary of taking the following vow:

"Do you, Cheurie, take this man to be your wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward? Wilt thou love & cherish him, honor & obey him, in sickness & health, for richer or for poorer, and forsaking all others cleave only unto him, so long as ye both shall live? If so, answer, I will."

To these words I very quietly, yet assuredly, answered "I will." Later on in the ceremony, I was asked to give a ring "as a token of my undying love and affection, 'til death do us part." That exchange ended with another vow where I said these words, "as God is my witness, I give you my promise." As the ceremony came to an end and the bride (that's me :-)) had been kissed, the preacher (my Daddy) said, "What God hath joined together let not man put assunder." Those words, of course, were taken from the Bible (KJB), found in Matthew 19:6. From that day on, I became a Groves. 

These vows that I have quoted are considered archaic now, and the word obey is left out 99.9% of the time, because it infringes on a woman's rights, or so I'm told. However, I did not take these vows lightly, as the Lord saw fit to bless that union with four children whom also bear that same name. 

When I was a child I was taught to be proud of who I was, and of my family name. That wasn't hard considering that my parents never gave me a reason not to. My in-laws worked equally as hard to do the same for their children. Thus, it is what I have tried to pass down to my own children. Proverbs 22:1 says, "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favour rather than silver and gold." It is not by coincidence that the same chapter bears the verse that tells us "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it."  Though I am by no means the perfect mother, I have tried (I'm still trying) to raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.  Of all the many things that we try to teach our children today, character skills are very much lacking. Children today know little of honor, honesty or integrity. Sadly, for some, it is because they see very little of it in their own parents. 

My grandparents talked of a day when a man's hand-shake was as good as any written agreement or contract. The children of today know nothing of this kind of honesty.  My mother used to drive out to a farm every week to buy our milk. She would leave a check or cash in the refrigerator that was in the man's barn, and take the amount of milk we needed. There were many times when I'd see her lay her money on top of the several other peoples monies, that had been there before us. Can you even imagine such an arrangement in today's day and age? I cannot. We need to get back to the "old paths" where "a man's word is his bond."