Articles
The Winds Are Blowing
In the early days of his reign, King Saul was a brave, successful ruler. He and the faithful prophet Samuel stood together in challenges they faced. Saul was a loyal servant of God. But things changed. Saul changed. He stopped listening to God. He stopped relying on God and started trusting in himself. He wanted change. He moved away from God and His direc-tion, and started trusting in himself. He moved away from God because he thought he had a better way of doing things. As a result of his arrogance, Saul met with defeat.
In his article "King Saul: Letting Faith Slip Away" published in CHRISTIANITY MAG-AZINE (September/October 1998) Tony Mauck writes about Saul, "He never de-clared God unworthy of worship. He simply stopped listening to God. He no longer gave careful attention to obedi-ence. He started improvising. He began trusting in himself rather than God. His life moved gradually and steadily away from God and His will. Over a period of weeks and years, Saul just let faith slip away."
Saul's behavior is sometimes repeated in the church today. Some members want "different". They want "change." They want "more." There's nothing wrong with change in itself, but the reason for change and the result of that change must be considered.
Recently our good Brother Steve Niemeier from Avon, Indiana, spoke to our congregation in a series of lessons about Chris-tian Living. In the context of his lesson, he warned that those desiring to serve God must be knowledgeable, vigilant, and cautious, because the "winds are blowing." He saw that dis-content is on the mind of some Christians today. The desire for "different" is among us. Change is happening. He cautioned us about that change as we worship and serve God. He spoke about change in attitude, change in behavior, change in service to God. Change in itself is not sinful, but our motives, attitude, and behavior can be contrary to God's plan as we talk about "change" in worship and service to Him and each other. Some people start talking about a "new," "different," "better" way of serving God than the way we have been doing. They want changes in the organization of the church, in membership, in worship, in leadership, in decision-making, in choices, in be-havior. They stop trying to please God by carefully following His word, and start advocating a "better" way of serving. They seem less concerned about the way God directs their living and worshipping, and more concerned about what they want. They often walk away from God in their desire for change. They once gave "book, chapter and verse" for the way they lived and worshipped, but now rely on feelings, and personal desires. Often, as a result of their desire for change, they vio-late God's word. They are guilty of over stepping the boundaries of God's teaching or leaving undone the principals He shared.
Changes sometimes are subtle. Brother Mauck writes, "The devil is the master of subtlety. The Scriptures are neglected. No time seems available for prayer. Little good is done for others. A failing interest in spiritual things ensues. Though an empty pursuit, a preoccupation with recreation and entertainment takes place. A this-world focus dominates. Assemblies become rituals to be endured. Worship services are skipped for far infe-rior activities.
Faith begins slipping away. Unfortunately, some do not even recognize what is happening. Tragically, many never recover."
In returning to consideration of Saul and his failure, Our Broth-er Mauck wrote, "The cause of Saul's waning faith and spiritual failure is largely the same as those who fall away from the Lord today. Wisdom goes unheeded, 'Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life' (Proverbs 4:23). Ever so gradually, hardening occurs 'by the deceitfulness of sin.' The Hebrew writer offers a three-fold prescription (1) "take care," (2) "encourage one another," and (3) "hold fast the be-ginning of our assurance firm until the end" (Hebrews 3:13-15).
And so, may the "winds" that are now "blowing" never hinder our efforts to serve our Lord God and each other as He has commanded. May we stay faithful in thought and action until the end.
