1 Samuel 12: Even Though We've Done Evil

"Samuel replied, 'Don't be afraid.  Even though you have committed all this evil, don't turn away from following the Lord.  Instead, worship the Lord with all your heart.  Don't turn away to follow worthless things that can't profit or deliver you; they are worthless.  The Lord will not abandon His people, because of His great name and because He has determined to make you His own people.'"

1 Samuel 12:20-22

Have you ever screwed something up so badly that you didn't think anyone would ever want to take you back?  You knew you did something terribly wrong, and the person you offended had every right to shun you forever.

How did you handle the situation?  Did you admit your wrong and beg forgiveness?  Did you try to hide your wrongdoing?  Did you run away before you could be rejected?

How did the offended person handle the situation?  Did they forgive your wrongdoing?  Did they suppress the memory of it in such a way that it kept creeping back up and haunting them?  Did they run away and leave you alone and rejected?

We've all been on both sides of these situations.  We can all, if we sit down and think about it for a while, remember times when we've acted in each of these different ways.

Question of the Day:

Now think carefully about how you've acted towards the Lord.  Have you followed His commands?  Have you slipped up in any accidental way?  Have you intentionally gone against His will, knowing the consequences?  No matter what you've done, what's His reaction?  Why does He not abandon us?  Is it because we've done something in the past to make Him desire us?  No.  It's because of His name.  It's because He is determined to make you His.  He's made up His mind, and He won't let anything you do change that.

Prayer of the Day:

Lord, give me Your righteous stubbornness - Your unchanging capacity for determined love.  Do not let me be taken by momentary pleasures which do not profit me, but rather let me be lifted up by the Good News which delivers me.  Amen.