Lesson 3 - How Self Wasted Saul.
In 1 Samuel 9:2, we are told that Saul was the tallest and most handsome man in all of Israel. Yet there is no record that these rare qualities made him proud. He was so humble that he could obey his father and run difficult errands for him without complaining (See 1 Sam 9:3).
Even to his servant, he showed so much humility by the way he interacted with him, as if he was his friend, even following the servant's suggestions (See 1 Sam 9:4, 9). Another wonderful quality in Saul was that he was a diligent and persevering man who wouldn't easily give up in the face of challenging situations. He travelled far and wide to ensure his father's lost asses were retrieved. He was also highly considerate of his father. He honoured his father by caring about his condition (See 1 Sam 9:5). Saul was also a man who had respect for God's servants and showed it by seeking to care for the welfare of Prophet Samuel (See 1 Sam 9:7). And finally, when the Prophet Samuel hinted Saul that he was to be king, he quickly confessed how unqualified he and his family were. He reckoned himself least of all. (See 1 Sam 9:21).
In all this, and at this point, there is no record that Saul became proud as a result of the admirable qualities. It wasn't until Saul tasted what was almost absolute power that the seed of pride in his heart sprung up. He saw himself as having absolute power, even executing the duties of a priest which were totally outside of his jurisdiction. And when he saw a promising young man rising up to take his place as king, he couldn't swallow the reality that soon he would have to relinquish his kingly power for his servant to take up. In his quest to hold on to power, and to establish his position, he exposed himself to insanity and demonic oppression. His thirst for power and control was his undoing.
Self, manifesting as an inordinate thirst for power and control, was the undoing of Saul. It wasted his opportunities to be of the greatest help to the cause of God. It wasted his beautiful relationships with his lovely son, Jonathan, with his loyal servant David, with God's faithful prophet, Samuel, and with many other wonderful people in his realm. He wasted precious time hunting for a precious life; time which could have been spent in seeking God and doing his will. He wasted resources trying to win a battle which was a failure from the start; a battle against a young innocent man who was under divine protection. Deaf to divine counsel and drunk with insanity, he hastened into a war that spelt his doom.
The sad culmination of the tense saga was his and his son's hanging corpses and beheaded heads. He wasted the precious life of his valiant and noble son and sacrificed the life of his mighty military men in a very shameful and ignoble way. And finally, he wasted his own life.
This is what uncrucified SELF does to a precious and highly promising life; it wastes the life and does it brutally. Are you still indulging SELF? You don't need to have many weaknesses or several deficiencies. All you need is ONE UNRESTRAINED WEAKNESS. You only need to allow your SELF to indulge one evil trait and you can be sure to share a similar fate to Saul's. Surrender your self to Jesus Christ today and ask for power to crucify it. Henceforth choose to die to self daily. Kill this SELF before it kills you.
Victor Chicaleke.