"Now the Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.” - 1 Samuel 16:1
One of the hardest things for even the sincerest child of God to conquer in this pilgrimage is failed expectations. We are told in Proverbs that "Hope deferred makes the heart sick". Samuel was sickened at the first that Israel even would demand to have a king, but when he met Saul he loved him, and wanted him to succeed. Samuel was a mentor to Saul and had a vested interest in his life.
When Saul was disobedient to the Lord and did not fully destroy the Amalekites by sparing King Agag and the choice of the animals, the Lord revealed to Samuel that He was rejecting Him, and relented that Saul was made king. This greatly troubled Samuel. It said that Samuel cried out to the Lord all night...for Saul.
Saul is the representation of fleshly pursuit, prideful living masked in religion, and half-hearted obedience. It seems as though Samuel's gaze was transfixed more upon Saul than upon God. It is easy for even the greatest man of God to lose sight of who the real King is. You remember Isaiah? In the days of Uzziah's rebellion and illness, his eyes seemed to be on Uzziah, but it wasn't until the death of Uzziah that his eyes were turned to the Lord.
Is there something in your life or someone in your life that has failed you? Is there a hope that has been deferred time and time again that you feel like giving up? Have expectations of a certain outcome, or plan been thwarted outside of your control, and it seems as though you cannot progress in your Christian life because of it? Are you hung up mourning for Saul? Mourning a past decision, a past failure, a moment of flesh?
How long will you mourn for Saul?
Let the waiting be over. Let the hope in the flesh being redeemed fade away. Forget those things which are behind and press forward to that which is ahead. Jesus Christ is speaking to you this morning saying, "behold, I make all things new". God is a God of the new, who desires to do a new thing, even making a road in the wilderness.
Mourn no longer for that which has not transpired, and trust God afresh to bud forth something new in your life. As long as you keep mourning Saul, your eyes will never see the true King.
"Fill your horn with oil, and go..."
Rise up from the place of despondency and discouragement. Just as David arose from the ground after worshipping the Lord when his illegitimate child died. He anointed himself with oil, ate food and worshipped.
It's time for a fresh filling. Be (being) filled with the Holy Spirit. This spreaks of fresh power, fresh anointing, and fresh consecration to the Lord. The Kingdom of God is not in word only, but in power.
Finally "Go"...Go on from this place of mourning for Saul. Say to God, "I have been waiting on man too long, and not waiting on you Lord, please forgive me. I have hoped in this to occur and even though it hasn't I trust your sovereignty and perfect plan in my life. I yield my "Saul" to you and choose to go forward from this point on."
Rejoice in these words "I am sending you". Wherever you place the emphasis in this precious promise, there is great encouragement. Perhaps you have been waiting on man to do for you what only the Lord can do for you. Then place the emphasis on "I"...'I' am sending you. Your command to go is not from a man, but it's from the God-man, Jesus Christ! "Go therefore, and make disciples..."Have I not commanded you"?
Arise, fill your horn with oil and Go...I am sending you.
This is what I received this morning and I do hope and pray it blesses you.