I Samuel 15:11
‘”I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all night.’
I want to focus on the end of the scripture. What a great heart Samuel has. He loved Saul and was very committed to him as king. Samuel was the mentor who groomed him along the way. Samuel was old and was hoping that Saul would allow him to back off of things, as he drifted into retirement.
Instead, Samuel is distraught with Saul’s behavior and spends the night in mournful intercession. It’s one thing to pray for someone as they come to mind, it’s quite different to give up our comfort and convenience to intercede for them. That is love.
The Lord wants to form that love in us. Paul says in I Timothy 1:5, “But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” This is a wonderful and balanced description of a person. It would be great to be said of us.
The end of I Corinthians 8:1 draws a contrast between two traits that inform us about love, “…Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.” This is tough, as most love to illuminate others with comments. But I have to agree with this, there is a inflation of ego as we talk. While it’s not horrible, it may not be edifying.
Am I building up others or myself? It’s a matter of percentages, not yes or no. The Lord seeks to increase our love. Penning this entry is convicting. It’s the Lord turning on the light and pointing out an area of growth. Will I be like Samuel and intercede? Most would pray, but would we give up a night to do so?
That’s sacrificial love. Are we willing to give up our comfort to love others? What makes intercession difficult is no one knows, but God. If I gave up an afternoon to help a friend, that has its own reward. We have the appreciation of a friend and an increase in reputation. Intercession is true love as there is little human reward.
Heaven is pleased with the intercessor. That may be the most godly thing one can do. That is if it’s done in love. Much effort is expended from guilt. I Corinthians 13 makes it clear that great things can be done, but if love isn’t the motivation, there is no heavenly reward.
Lord, help us to love others to the point we are giving up our comfort. Teach us to not be concerned about getting credit. We need Your love. Fill us afresh.