1 Chronicles 10-12, John 6:45-71 Key Verses: 1 Chronicles 10:13-14

“No statistic is more meaningless than the score at half time,” a sports philosopher once said. There have been some miraculous comebacks, and being ahead at the half is no guarantee of a win.

What is true in sports is true in life. How a person is at life’s “half time” is no guarantee of how he will be at the end. Jacob started disastrously but finished well, while the opposite was true with Solomon. Now add Saul to the latter list. At one point he looked good—so good that he stood out from the crowd, was chosen to be king and led the nation with the blessing of God.

The last half of his life, however, is remembered for its bitterness, the pursuit of David and a suicidal death. God’s blessing turned to judgment. Saul’s life had a sad ending for three reasons.
One, he was unfaithful to the Lord. God expects faithfulness of His people. Saul was not. Two, he did not keep the Word of the Lord. Obedience is to be a characteristic of the people of God. His became a life of disobedience.

Three, he sought guidance from the wrong place and not from the Lord. As his kingdom was unraveling, Saul turned to a witch instead of to the Lord.

In two verses, 1 Chronicles 10:13-14, we are given an epitaph of sorts, an analysis of a life that began promisingly but ended disastrously. It ended that way not because of things beyond Saul’s control but because of things he did not control. He could have remained faithful, kept the Word of the Lord and sought God’s guidance, but he chose not to.

_Some things are beyond our control. Concentrate on the things that are. Examine how you are doing on these three things: remaining faithful, keeping the Word of the Lord and seeking God’s guidance._

Woodrow Kroll & Tony Beckett
www.backtothebible.in