Regrets

It repenteth Me that I have set up Saul to be king; for he is turned back from following Me, and hath not performed My commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night. 1 Samuel 15:11

Samuel laments and deprecates it. It grieved Samuel that Saul had forfeited God's favour, and that God had resolved to cast him off; and he cried unto the Lord all night, spent a whole night in interceding for him, that this decree might not go forth against him. When others were in their beds sleeping, he was upon his knees praying and wrestling with God.

Remember, the people wanted Saul to be king; this wasn't God's choice. Saul has turned away from God. Samuel spent the night in prayer, hoping God would change His mind--but it wasn't meant to be. Sometimes events are changed through prayer and sometimes they move on as intended.

I've been thinking a lot about Samuel these past few weeks. The prophets of the Old Testament; how the Lord spoke through them to His people. These are troubling times in our world today--at work we have already been told they are taking 10 days away next year, they need to eliminate 305 salary jobs, ect. ect. ect. (As I wrote this, I'm hearing Yul Brenner in the King and I).

As Christians, we should be the spokesmen of Hope through Christ; and not get caught up in the chicken little mindset that has grasped the world. Samuel is the perfect model of what to do--prayer and a lot of it.