“The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people.” (1 Sam. 13:14)
Expanded Passage: 1 Samuel 9:1-2, 19-22, 26-27; 10:1; 13:8-14
All of us have known people who started well, with sterling qualities and much potential, only to run aground in midlife or at a certain point in their career. This shift happens to entrepreneurs, professionals, athletes, politicians, royalty, clergy, and others. The budding character of youth should be solidified in the rigors of daily living. Character hinges upon choices of integrity, decisions in difficult moments and the investment of time and resources. If the proof is in the taste of the pudding, then, ultimately, the proof of character is in one’s deeds.
Saul began well, but he did not continue well. The Bible records his almost psychotic rage at the young man, David, and Saul’s attempts to murder him. We recall that, in impatience and arrogance, Saul offered his own sacrifice to the Lord and then disobeyed God’s direct command about the spoils of battle and King Agag. In the waning days of his life, he even solicited the services of a medium for spiritual advice. Finally, he dealt the death blow to his own body after a bloody battle with the Philistines.
How differently the biblical narrative would have been had Saul embraced this truth. As believers and leaders, we have much to learn from Saul’s decline, because character must not be only the beginning or middle of our stories, but the end as well.
Let the richness of your character increase every day.
Valorie Quesenberry is a wife, mother, gramma, speaker, and author of several books including the Sisters in Faith Bible Studies (WPH).
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
