How Long Will You Mourn For Saul?
by Rita Langeland
© 2002 Hidden With Christ Ministries
When the Lord asked Samuel the prophet, “How long will you mourn for Saul?” Samuel knew exactly what the Lord was talking about. Samuel had been the one to anoint Saul as the first king over Israel. Samuel had a big investment in Saul being a successful and godly king for the nation. But it wasn’t long after Saul became king, that he disobeyed the Lord on multiple occasions. In fact, his behavior was so displeasing to God that Samuel told Saul, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel away from you this day and given it to a neighbor of yours who is better than you.” (I Samuel 15:28) After that incident, the scripture records that Samuel, who had been Saul’s spiritual advisor, never went to see Saul again, though he grieved over Saul. (I Sam. 15:35)
Samuel mourned over Saul’s moral failure. And without a doubt, Saul’s failure had some reflection on Samuel in the eyes of the people. Samuel was the one who made the big announcement that God had chosen Saul from among all the tribes of Israel to be the first king. His own life was undeniably linked for life to Saul. Samuel mourned for the nation as well as for himself. He probably mourned the wasted years, since Saul reigned for 40 years, though it was without God’s favor and without Samuel’s counsel. He may have even wondered if he was “washed up” as the spiritual leader of Israel, since his last proclamation (Saul’s appointment as king) had such a disappointing and even devastating outcome. Biblical history shows that Samuel, who had previously made a circuit of the different cities of Israel to judge the people’s problems and disputes, went into semi-seclusion after Saul’s downfall. Samuel knew how it “could have been” and how it “should have been” with Saul as the king of Israel. “If only Saul had obeyed God,” Samuel must have mourned, over and over again.
Many people have a “Saul” in their life. It is the “could have been” and the “should have been” situations we have faced. And like Samuel, we find ourselves mourning over the “If only...” scenarios in our minds. Many people regret the wasted years Saul has cost them and may even feel like their life is “washed up”. The trouble with “mourning for Saul” is very clear. If you keep mourning for “Saul” you will NEVER move forward. You are tied to the past, tethered to a memory you cannot change. And if you continue in that mode for long, you will FRAME YOUR ENTIRE FUTURE by mourning for Saul.
I saw a clear example of this many years ago. When my husband was a young assistant pastor in his first ministerial position, we had the opportunity to observe this first hand. The wonderful pastor with whom we worked, had some old friends, also fellow ministers, who came to visit. We were invited to accompany them to lunch. Hoping to learn something from these experienced pastors, I listened intently to the conversation that unfolded over the meal. I was stunned to hear this older couple, nearing retirement age, recounting a story of some offensive treatment they had received nearly forty years before at the hands of some other people in the ministry. It was obvious from the conversation as well as their attitudes, that the incident which they were discussing had literally “framed” or defined their life. It had restricted their progress, stunted their spiritual growth and tethered them to the past with the cords of resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness. They were still “mourning for Saul” after all those years.
If you continue to “mourn for Saul” it will hinder your progress in life. It will restrict you to the confines of looking backwards instead of moving forward. Your life becomes the portrait of a person treading water in the sea of regret.
For us today, “Saul” can represent people who disappointed you, people who let you down, people who betrayed your trust. “Saul” can also represent how other people’s sinful choices affected your life. It could be a parent who abandoned or mistreated you, a spouse who deserted you and your children or a business partner who cheated you. But for some people, “Saul” is themselves. They mourn their own failures, poor choices or missed opportunities of the past.
No matter what the specifics of your particular situation, you can find out very easily if you are still “mourning for Saul.” Simply ask yourself these 2 questions:
1) Do you spend time thinking about “how it could have been or should have been” if so and so hadn’t done that…
2) Do you find yourself saying (or thinking) “...if only…” I never married that person, “...if only…” I was born into a different family, “...if only…” I hadn’t made that choice…
If you answered YES to either question, you are still “mourning for Saul.”
In the story of the prophet Samuel, we observe that God did not want the old prophet immobilized in his life and ministry because of his own reaction to the sin of another person. The Lord asked Samuel very pointedly, “How long will you mourn for Saul?” The Lord asks us the same question. We have a choice, just like Samuel did, to decide to continue to mourn over the sinful actions or disappointments of other people OR to agree with God and let it go.
The first step to be FREE from the “Sauls” of the past is the step of forgiveness. Many people cannot even imagine how they could possibly forgive someone who has hurt them deeply. Yet God requires this of each and every one of us. In Matthew chapter 18, Jesus told the parable of the unforgiving servant. He explained how the servant was turned over to the torturers until he could repay his debt because he had refused to forgive his fellow servant. Jesus ended the story with these sobering words: “So will My heavenly Father deal with every one of you if you do not freely forgive your brother from your heart his offenses.” God gives us this command to forgive those who have sinned against us, but He also gives us the GRACE to do it.
When a person makes the choice of his will to obey God and willingly RELEASE someone who has sinned against him, God’s great grace sweeps in and enables the individual to forgive. Remember this key: FORGIVENESS IS NOT A FEELING...IT IS A DECISION OF THE WILL TO OBEY GOD’S COMMAND. Do not worry if you don’t have warm and fuzzy feelings toward the one who has sinned against you. When you make the choice of your will to forgive, you are releasing the person from the debt they owe you, and God is releasing you from the bondage of the sin of unforgiveness and resentment. It has often been said, that your will is like the engine on the train and your feelings are like the caboose. When the train’s engine (your will) moves forward, the caboose (your feelings) eventually follows right along behind.
Tell the Lord in prayer that you have decided to obey Him in the area of forgiveness. Lord, I ask you to forgive me for holding resentment, bitterness and unforgiveness in my heart toward (name the person). Thank you for forgiving me. Now Lord, I choose by an act of my will to forgive (name the person) and I release them from owing me anything, just like you have forgiven me and released me. I ask you to bless them and help them. Please give me Your love for them now.
When the Lord dealt with Samuel about his problem with mourning for Saul, God gave him specific instructions to help him “get over it.” Many Christians know the importance of forgiving those who have hurt them and have consciously made the effort to keep themselves free from bitterness and resentment. Yet they still struggle with “getting over it.” These divine instructions will help you. The Lord told Samuel, “...fill your horn with oil and go, and I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for Myself a king among his sons.”
“Fill your horn with oil”— throughout the Bible, oil represents the Holy Spirit. The prophet had let his oil run dry. You need to “fill up” with the Holy Spirit if you are going to “get over it.” Many people who are mourning for Saul, have withdrawn from fellowship with believers or rarely attend church services that are filled with the presence of God. This is a necessity!
“Go…”— God required Samuel to take some steps of faith in obedience to God. If you have been mourning Saul, you have not been taking many forward steps. You are probably well aware of a step of faith God wants you to take. Obey God, take that step of faith today, and you will be on your way to “getting over it”!
(This message is available on CD or mp3)
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KEYS Teaching Pamphlets Copyright 2002-2009 © Rita Langeland. 'KEYS Teaching Pamphlet' articles may be reproduced in whole under the following provisions:
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