1 Samuel 16:1 – “And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons.”
Samuel the prophet was very upset, and rightly so! He had anointed Saul as king over Israel, only to find that God had rejected him as king because of his disobedience. Israel had longed for a king, and God had given them Saul. But sadly, Saul’s character was not ready to uphold the purpose that God had outlined for him as king. Ever since God rejected Saul, Samuel went into mourning – probably not even willing to consider what the future of Israel might look like.
Sometimes, we too mourn the loss of things that God has rejected for our lives. Perhaps it is a particular relationship, a preferred job or a dream opportunity. At times, God does tell us, “No”, and it can be quite hard for us to handle that rejection. We are still fresh into a new year, but are we still carrying a bit of baggage from the past year? Maybe a desperate prayer wasn’t answered, or a promise you thought would be fulfilled in 2014 didn’t come to pass. Are you still mourning it?
God has given us a brand new year. Let us not carry our grief from the past year into 2015. Let us leave our disappointments, rejections, and sorrows in the past where it belongs. Let us move forward with joy and hope that God knows what’s best for us. He will answer our prayers with His best; His promises for us will come to pass. God had a better king in mind for Israel and He has better plans for your future. Let’s stop mourning and start rejoicing today!
