David: God's own heart Chapter 1 King Saul - If God is for us

 

How many of us truly believe—with full confidence—that if God is for us, who can be against us?

This powerful promise from God assures His servants that His favor will always go before them. Yet, it echoes through the story of Saul—anointed by God, but ultimately rejected. Saul's kingship emerged not from divine initiative but from God's response to the Israelites, who demanded a human king instead of submitting to God Himself, the true King of all.

Despite their rejection, God did not strike them down. Instead, He listened. He heeded their request—not out of weakness, but because of His deep, personal relationship with His people. In doing so, God appeared to accept their rejection and allowed for a human king to be installed. And so, the story of Saul began.

It’s remarkable: God, longing for His people, was pushed aside—asked to be replaced. Yet He complied, choosing Saul to govern them physically. In this act, God seemed to value His people’s desires more than His own rightful place, showing humility and grace beyond our comprehension.

But Saul was flawed, and God knew it. Still, He took the risk. God gave Saul the chance to lead, hoping perhaps that Saul might rise to the occasion and obey Him. This was more than just installing a king—it was a divine test, born of God's desire to honor His people's request.

To heed means to listen, to be mindful, to respond. And God heeded His people. Yet we, in turn, often fail to heed Him. We are selfish, distracted, and inattentive—blind to the fact that God listens to us far more than we listen to Him.

Though God foresaw Saul's eventual failure, He still offered him the opportunity to succeed. Saul was from the smallest tribe—Benjamin—a tribe known for its bravery and fierce warriors since the time of Joshua. Despite Saul’s humble beginnings, God gave him a royal calling. It was a chance—one that Saul squandered, and one that reflects not just on him, but on the human tendency to reject divine direction even when God, in His mercy, listens to us.

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