I Samuel 9:4
“He passed through the hill country of Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalishah, but they did not find them. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, but they were not there. Then he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they did not find them.”
Saul and his helper were given the charge to find the family’s lost donkeys. This was a task assigned by his father. They traveled through four regions. That was a wide search and they had done all that they could do on their own. Even though they weren’t successful, it was a good effort.
The same is expected of us. If it be a charge given by our parents, boss or volunteer leader, we are to do our best. We do this to maintain a clear conscience to ourselves and before God. Proverbs 31:25 says, “Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.” We know if we are living true to our values. At the moment, other people might not be see our motives, but we do. God also sees. Paul says in Acts 24:16, “In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men.”
Making a few comments about our consciences would be beneficial. They act like judges as they make rulings based on law. Problems arise when we have belief systems which are faulty. Therefore we end up feeling guilty over something permissible. I John 3:20 is such an example, “in whatever our heart condemns us; for God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” So, we need to refer to the Bible to inform our beliefs.
Parents help inform the consciences of their children by raising them in the faith. They learn about the Ten Commandments. They learn about the Golden Rule, “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.” They also learn about Jesus’ summation of the commandments; that is to love God and love people. In addition to rules, they learn about grace and mercy.
Saul was raised well and was a great help to his family. When his father asked him to search for the donkeys, he responded positively. Lord, help us to be obedient and do our best.