Serve the Lord

I was reading in 1Samuel today and discovered a scripture that I find very intriguing. It is 1 Samuel 12:20-21. It states, "Then Samuel said to the people, 'Do not fear. You have done all this wickedness; yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. 'And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.'"

I have seen a mindset in people for years. The mindset that they have committed so much evil and sin that God will not forgive them. I know for some it is an excuse for not following or surrendering to God, but others truly believe that God could not possibly forgive them for their wrongdoings. Their sin in their own eyes is so great that they can not forgive themselves and they are sure God can not and will not forgive them either. To forgive such great sin is mind boggling to some. Why would God forgive such evil? Why?

Well, let me answer that question for you - God is a loving, caring, compassionate God. His desire is to have relationship and communion with his creation. Sin in God's eyes is equal. What I'm saying is that a "little" white lie to God is as great a sin as murder. He does not measure sin the way man measures sin. The Bible tells us that we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glory. When God sent his son Jesus to die for the sins of mankind, He did not categorize which sins would be forgiven and which sins wouldn't. God's word tells us that we are to repent (turn away from our sins) in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sin. We are to confess Jesus as Lord and we will be saved. Nowhere have I ever read that God only forgives someone if they've committed a "small" sin or if they committed only unknown sin. God forgives our repentant hearts even when we knowingly committed the sins. The key though is that we are repentant. Our hearts are broken with Godly sorrow and we turn from that sin. We must also realize that God's forgiveness never runs dry. As long as we are repentant and our hearts are turned toward God, He is willing to forgive us. He WANTS to forgive us. That's the kind of God He is :)

According to Samuel, regardless of our sins and wickedness, we must still serve the Lord with all our hearts. Yes, we fail. Yes, we fall short. Yes, we do stupid things, but God wants us following Him. We are not perfect and we never will be. We can not save ourselves. Only God is perfect and only God can save.

What does Samuel say will happen if we turn away from the Lord? He says we will go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver. Why not? Because they are NOTHING. Are you wondering what "empty" things Samuel is talking about? Well, I can think of a few. Let's see; a few would be drugs, sex, perversion, money, material items, the opposite gender, and alcohol. When we turn aside from God, from His ways and from His direction, we will look for "things" to fill us. These "things" will only bring us emptiness. Only God can fill us. Only God can make us whole. Only God redeems and only God forgives.

Turn aside to the One who is the giver of life and let Him fill you up.