The Heart of the Problem

God allows His people to experience situations that put their faith and leadership to the test.  There are tests God brings that refine us, that prompt us to exercise faith in God that builds faith and results in spiritual growth as we trust in God.  There are also tests that reveal our heart, motives and actions to be sinful and in need of repentance.  Tests can reveal what our hearts carefully conceal, the reality about us the LORD knows already.  When Peter denied knowing Jesus three times, it indicated his lack of strength to resist the fear of man and his lack of faith in Christ's word--which resulted in weeping, repentance but ultimately spiritual growth and fruitfulness.

There are examples in Scripture of people who tragically were exposed as lacking faith in God and never seems they came round to repentance and renewed trust in God.  King Saul was one of these people.  He had been a king for a couple years when he commanded the trumpet sound to announce his successful attack on a Philistine garrison so all Hebrews would hear.  This had an unintended effect, for the Philistines responded by invading Israel with horsemen and chariots.  King Saul and his men were filled with fear and some hid in caves, bushes or rocks whilst others crossed the Jordan river to avoid warfare.  As Saul watched his fighting force melt away day after day, on the seventh day he sinned by offering a sacrifice to God when he should have waited for the prophet Samuel to do so according to the word of the LORD.

When confronted by Samuel, the king gave weak excuses to justify his actions:  the people were scattered from him, Samuel had not yet arrived, and the Philistines gathered together.  Instead of obeying the LORD or seeking His counsel, Saul said to himself offering the sacrifice in Samuel's stead was the best course of action.  1 Samuel 13:13-14 says, "And Samuel said to Saul, "You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. ¹⁴ But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you."  King Saul imagined his kingdom and leadership was threatened by the Philistine army, his fearful subjects or Samuel's lack of punctuality when it was his own proud, conceited heart which pried the kingdom from his grasp.

This is remarkable, isn't it?  The Philistine army was a problem for Saul, but it wasn't a problem for God.  Saul's inability to rally and inspire the troops wasn't the problem either.  The test God allowed of the invading army, fleeing fighters and the last-minute arrival of a prophet exposed King Saul as a fool.  This was affirmed when instead of owning up to his sin and humbling himself, Saul vainly tried to justify himself and continued on his proud path to ruin.  He looked to himself, to everything and everyone else rather than God and his kingdom would not be established or continue because of his faithless heart.  As Christians we do well to meditate on this matter, for many times the problems we see around us or in others isn't our problem.  God allows us to face tests that reveal the real problem is the unbelief and pride that runs rampant in our own hearts that undermines the strength and victory found in Jesus alone.