Exalting Self Above God

All too often, Saul felt justified doing whatever he wanted, even if this meant ignoring God’s Word. He first demonstrated this tendency when God told him to destroy all the Amalekites. Saul reinterpreted His word and only partially obeyed.

While he wasn’t willing to destroy the Amalekites, he was willing to kill everyone and everything in Nob, even the animals. Why? Because, innocently, they had helped David.

Instead of placing his highest priority on pleasing God, Saul pursued his own will and desires. Samuel told him he had “rejected the word of the LORD,” and as a result, “the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel” (1 Samuel 15:26).

Even though we can be critical of Saul, many people have this kind of double standard. When they hear a word from the Lord or read the Bible, they reserve the right to decide for themselves what they think God meant-without ever asking Him! Instead, they listen to the opinions of other people.

Saul’s example reveals why it’s so important that we submit our lives to God and have a personal relationship with Him-that we live by faith, believe His Word, obey Him, and realize our own limitations.

Today, stay humble before God. When you read the Bible, ask Him to give you understanding and revelation. Don’t be guilty of reinterpreting His Word to satisfy your own opinions. “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within” (Romans 12:2 Phillips). Set your heart on pleasing Him.