Get Over It

 July 14, 2024

“The Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.”

—1 Samuel 15:35

The Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” —1 Samuel 16:1 

Have you ever looked back on a past decision and regretted you had made the choice you made? Maybe it was a relationship or a business deal. You prayerfully chose your college or job, and though everything began well, somewhere along the way, the wheels fell off the bus. The person you trusted betrayed you, the job you were promised was given to someone else, the terms of agreement changed, and you were left holding the bag.

You look back and wish you had chosen differently back then. But back then, you didn’t know what you know now. That person, that job gave every appearance of being everything you dreamed of. Either the fatal flaw wasn’t there, or you weren’t able to see it. You see everything now through the lens of regret.

That’s where Samuel was. He was so sure God told him to anoint Saul king of Israel. It went well for awhile, but then Saul’s pride got the better of him and everything began to fall apart. I would imagine Samuel felt he never should have gotten behind the kingship of Saul. But what is interesting is, even God regretted his initial choice, so I guess we can’t be too hard on Samuel. Or ourselves.

But when reality set in, it was time for action, not for mourning. Crying and whining over what might have been wasn’t going to help. Out of the ashes of Saul’s failed kingship, God was already on the move. “Be on your way,” he told Samuel. Quit crying and get going! I have a new and better king. 

When your best plans come up empty, it’s like a kick in the teeth. When someone lets you down, it’s a sucker punch to the gut. But God won’t let you stay, wallowing in your grief. “Get up,” he instructs. “I have moved on. It’s time for you to do the same.” Don’t let someone else’s failure or even your own define your future. God alone has that right. Get in line with his plans and the future which seemed so bleak will become a door of hope for you.