Be Real - By Giving Credit Where it is Due!
In this time of quarantine, we find that people are limited in their wisdom and power. Let me be more specific, people like me come to grips quickly with our limited power and wisdom in times of crisis, such as the one we are currently in. Historically, circumstances and crisis have occurred where people have had to step up and supply solutions.
The Covid-19 crisis is no different and I am thankful for the many people who are sacrificially working not only to protect the general public but also are helping rescue those who have fallen ill. The medical professionals come to the forefront of my mind and I praise God for these people.
At the same time, I must be careful that I not put a burden on them that they cannot carry. It would be unfair to them and troublesome for me to put my trust in other people because at the end of the day, no doctor has sufficient wisdom to end disease and no politician has sufficient power to end death. Praise alone belongs to God because He has the wisdom and the power! Indeed, through Christ, death is defeated and one day sickness will be no more.
Be Real – by giving credit where it is due!
Today our text is 1 Samuel 8:19-20 – “But the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel. And they said, No! But there shall be a king over us, that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles.”
Context: God has rescued the Israelites by fighting their battles countless times. God was the One who battled against Pharaoh, freeing Israel from bondage. It was the Angel of the Lord who fought for them to secure the promised land for the promised people. And even after the people consistently rebelled and walked away from God, He fought their battles freeing them from oppression and bondage of neighboring nations during the period of the Judges. In this text, the people seem to forget that they already have a king who protects them and fights their battles.
Lesson: The Israelites have made the mistake, yet again, of depending on other people or things who also are dependent, instead of the source who is independent. Just a few chapters earlier, they mistakenly put their trust in the Ark (an object) instead of the God (the source) whose presence dwells with the Ark. The Israelites were called out among the rest of the world to be a separate people committed to God. Through this people, God would make available salvation from sin and death through Jesus. Sadly, the Israelites did not embrace that they were to be a different people and instead wanted to be like everyone else around them.
Application: Today, let us rejoice in the means God has provided for us to be protected and rescued from sickness. However, let us strive to give credit to the source! This weekend, we are reminded of the ultimate rescue from death and sickness and true hope of humanity, the risen Lord! (Revelation 1:17-18)