Monday of the Second Week in Ordinary Time
There are times when I read a scripture passage that I am taken aback by the stories of the Israelites in the Old Testament. Today is one of those readings which tells the story of the downfall of Saul. Although it appears that Saul was trying to in a special way honor the Lord, by not obeying God’s command he places his will above God’s How often in our lives do we take control of our lives maybe even thinking that we are showing God our praise through our actions. But more than our creative and bold action, God desires our obedience. If God is truly a loving God than His will for our lives is what will bring us the greatest blessing and therefore His greatest glory. When I fall into the Hand of God, then I become the person He calls me to be, and I therefore give Him the greatest praise.
In the reading from the book of Samuel, Saul (and the Israelite army) have gone to battle against the Amalekites. However, instead of fulfilling the “ban of destruction” as God commanded, Saul returns with the spoils of the land. Although Saul states that he has brought these back to offer as sacrifice, Samuel reprimands Saul for his disobedience. When I read this story I wonder about a God who demands the entire destruction of a people and their culture. And yet I realize that the greater truth lies in Saul’s response to God’s commands. Instead of doing as he was told, Saul decides on his own to not follow God’s decree, and because of his disobedience he rejects God. Samuel explains that “Obedience is better than sacrifice and submission than the fat of rams.” Because Saul chose his will over God’s God rejects Saul as the leader of His people.
This reading makes me pause and reflect on the times when I race ahead with decisions not even considering if this is what God wants me to do. In the same way as Saul, I am implying that I know better than God what I should be doing. Samuel tells Saul that acting in this way is a “crime of idolatry,” since we place our will above God’s.
Placing the will of God first in our lives requires time and practice. If we do not first recognize God in our lives, we will not be attentive to His voice. After realizing His loving presence, we then need to spend time listening to what He has to say. Finally, we have to be willing to be obedient –to say yes- to whatever He calls us to do. This takes a great deal of trust. I am sure there have been times in my life when I have heard the Lord call me to do something, and I responded with “I can’t believe you want me to do it this way- I think my way is better!”
When I think of submitting myself to the Lord, I imagine myself doing a belly flop into the Hand of God which implies complete abandon and trust. I know it takes great faith to make the jump and it is incredibly scary (and sometimes it hurts). When I flop into His Hand, I recognize my weakness and His strength and my need to rely on Him alone. It is not always easy making the jump, but I know that when I land I will be in the Hand of God who loves me more than I can imagine, and no matter where He leads me, I will not be alone. So when I picture myself listening as I prepare to jump, I call out “Here I am, Lord- I come to do your will!” and down I drop to a God who will always be there to catch me when I fall.
Heavenly Father, You desire our obedience as our greatest act of praise. Your Son Jesus lived out this obedience to You through His life, death and resurrection. Through the grace of Your Spirit, allow us to fall into your loving Hands as we place our trust in You. May our lives of obedient trust and faith in your love bring You glory. We pray this through Christ, our LORD. Amen.
- Marylynn Herchline