The word Saul used to describe himself is a startling one. Many people would not want to describe themselves as a fool. The story is one of great possibility and tragedy. A man who began with so much ended in such a pitiful and disastrous situation. Out text is a tragic confession of his life. The word that is used to describe a fool is one that indicates a lack of sense of moral direction and spiritual comprehension. In truth, none of us are exempt from playing a fool as Saul did. We all have the possibility to fall into a situation where we lose our sense of spiritual boundaries and adherence to moral convictions. Saul held a position of power and success. He had everything going for him, but he still had a destructive nature about him that caused him to lose it all. Saul had a good heritage and background. He was physically strong and tall. God called him to be the first king of Israel. He had an opportunity to cooperate with God and be part of God’s plan for His people. However as we read the story of Saul we see pride come up in his life and a tendency to act on his own without reliance on God. He becomes rash and impulsive in a manner that was destructive to both himself and his people. Bro. Hughes observes that we are all susceptible to the same trap as Saul. No matter how blessed we are, or how close we feel that we are to God, we all have the ability to play the fool, as did Saul.

We can play the fool:

• When we fail to submit to the King of King and Lord of Lords.

• When we make enemies of the people that God put into our life to help us.

• When we are disobedient in the small things that matter to God.

• When we allow hatred to become the master of our life.

We are all on a journey. It is the journey of life. On life’s journey we have to deal with life as we meet it. We cannot go back and change that which happened in the past. We must look toward the future and deal with the journey that is before us. None of us can make it on this journey by ourselves; we must have divine assistance. God knew what was to happen to Elijah before it happened, and He had a plan in motion to deal with this particular point in his life. Life is never a straight line between two points. There will be hills, valleys and mountains that must be overcome. Life is never stress free. Life can quickly turn from victory to defeat with alarming suddenness. The chapter 18 of 1 Kings sees Elijah in the midst of a great victory, but chapter 19 has him at one of the lowest points in his life. Bro. Hughes points out that because of this journey, it is dangerous to react to a particular moment in life. Elijah reacted to a moment in his life, and asks God to take his life. If we read about Elijah, we see that he was not a man who reacted to life, but who acted with a purpose.

Rather than rebuking Elijah, God provided a meal for him. The meal that God provided Elijah was enough to sustain him for 40 days and 40 nights. Bro. Hughes tells us that we need to take what God provides for us because He knows the journey ahead of us and whatever He provides will sustain us. We are not lost in our journey. God knows where we are and He has already made provision for us. When we eat the meat that God provides, we will it will change our focus and will get our eyes off those things that are trying to destroy our life, and fix them on God’s plan. If we eat what God provides, it will take us further than we thought we could go and bring us to the place that God wants us to be.

We are all on a journey. It is the journey of life. On life’s journey we have to deal with life as we meet it. We cannot go back and change that which happened in the past. We must look toward the future and deal with the journey that is before us. None of us can make it on this journey by ourselves; we must have divine assistance. God knew what was to happen to Elijah before it happened, and He had a plan in motion to deal with this particular point in his life. Life is never a straight line between two points. There will be hills, valleys and mountains that must be overcome. Life is never stress free. Life can quickly turn from victory to defeat with alarming suddenness. The chapter 18 of 1 Kings sees Elijah in the midst of a great victory, but chapter 19 has him at one of the lowest points in his life. Bro. Hughes points out that because of this journey, it is dangerous to react to a particular moment in life. Elijah reacted to a moment in his life, and asks God to take his life. If we read about Elijah, we see that he was not a man who reacted to life, but who acted with a purpose.

Rather than rebuking Elijah, God provided a meal for him. The meal that God provided Elijah was enough to sustain him for 40 days and 40 nights. Bro. Hughes tells us that we need to take what God provides for us because He knows the journey ahead of us and whatever He provides will sustain us. We are not lost in our journey. God knows where we are and He has already made provision for us. When we eat the meat that God provides, we will it will change our focus and will get our eyes off those things that are trying to destroy our life, and fix them on God’s plan. If we eat what God provides, it will take us further than we thought we could go and bring us to the place that God wants us to be.

We have all made mistakes. Some of our mistakes have been small. Other mistakes have been very large. There are no boundaries for mistakes. Educated and uneducated people, rich people and poor people, wise people and foolish people all make mistakes. Mistakes can be public or private. There are some lives that are more affected by the mistakes that have been made, than the miracles that have occurred. Mistakes rob us of our spiritual energy and have a way of affecting our lives for a long time. Our mistakes have a way of generating shame, guilt, and despair. For many people the mistakes in life tend to win out over miracles.

In our text we find Sarah and Abraham dealing with a mistake. God had promised Abraham a son. As the time for that prophecy drew close, the tensions began to rise and they attempted to orchestrate by their own hand that which God had promised. The waiting is the hardest part. It is during this waiting that our character is tested. When Abraham and Sarah became more concerned about the outward appearance and what people would think that drove them to make a decision that would haunt them for the rest of their life. The result of this decision was living with them in the same tent. Abraham had to decide who would live in his house. He had to choose if he would live with faith and rely upon God, or he would live with the result of his trying to take the will of God into his own hand.

Bro. Hughes declares that it is time to have a house cleaning and put out those things and spirits that are tying us to our failures, and allow the promises of God to live there in stead. We can either put the mistake out and let the promise rule, or let the mistake keep us from realizing the promise.

We have all made mistakes. Some of our mistakes have been small. Other mistakes have been very large. There are no boundaries for mistakes. Educated and uneducated people, rich people and poor people, wise people and foolish people all make mistakes. Mistakes can be public or private. There are some lives that are more affected by the mistakes that have been made, than the miracles that have occurred. Mistakes rob us of our spiritual energy and have a way of affecting our lives for a long time. Our mistakes have a way of generating shame, guilt, and despair. For many people the mistakes in life tend to win out over miracles.

In our text we find Sarah and Abraham dealing with a mistake. God had promised Abraham a son. As the time for that prophecy drew close, the tensions began to rise and they attempted to orchestrate by their own hand that which God had promised. The waiting is the hardest part. It is during this waiting that our character is tested. When Abraham and Sarah became more concerned about the outward appearance and what people would think that drove them to make a decision that would haunt them for the rest of their life. The result of this decision was living with them in the same tent. Abraham had to decide who would live in his house. He had to choose if he would live with faith and rely upon God, or he would live with the result of his trying to take the will of God into his own hand.

Bro. Hughes declares that it is time to have a house cleaning and put out those things and spirits that are tying us to our failures, and allow the promises of God to live there in stead. We can either put the mistake out and let the promise rule, or let the mistake keep us from realizing the promise.

We read in the Bible of great men. We read of men whom God uses mightily and who accomplish great things. We also read of many of these men who make mistakes and who find them selves in situations of despair and depression. Stories of these great men who overcome some of the same problems that we face can be an encouragement to us. Our text defines the situation Elijah was in as a journey. A journey implies a purpose. It speaks of a direction. It involved distance and time. A journey is an undertaking that involves changes. Life is not a straight point between two places. It travels through hills and valleys. It has many phases and chapters. Some people get caught up in a particular part or chapter of life and they make decisions that can affect their life for eternity. It is important to remember that we are on a journey and that a particular phase does not define the entirety of life. In our text Elijah got caught up in on phase of his life and he ask God to end his life. He was running away from a threat to kill him, and he lays down under a juniper tree and asks God to take his life. While we are focused on the moment, God looks at the entire journey of our life and He works according to the entire story.

On life’s journey, if we find out selves down and feeling like we have had all we can stand, we can stand by Elijah who had also had enough. God said the he was wrong. God knows when we have had enough and will see us through just has he did for Elijah.

We read in the Bible of great men. We read of men whom God uses mightily and who accomplish great things. We also read of many of these men who make mistakes and who find them selves in situations of despair and depression. Stories of these great men who overcome some of the same problems that we face can be an encouragement to us. Our text defines the situation Elijah was in as a journey. A journey implies a purpose. It speaks of a direction. It involved distance and time. A journey is an undertaking that involves changes. Life is not a straight point between two places. It travels through hills and valleys. It has many phases and chapters. Some people get caught up in a particular part or chapter of life and they make decisions that can affect their life for eternity. It is important to remember that we are on a journey and that a particular phase does not define the entirety of life. In our text Elijah got caught up in on phase of his life and he ask God to end his life. He was running away from a threat to kill him, and he lays down under a juniper tree and asks God to take his life. While we are focused on the moment, God looks at the entire journey of our life and He works according to the entire story.

On life’s journey, if we find out selves down and feeling like we have had all we can stand, we can stand by Elijah who had also had enough. God said the he was wrong. God knows when we have had enough and will see us through just has he did for Elijah.

There are times in all of our lives when God intervened just in the nick of time. God knows when to step in and rescue his children. God’s timing is far different from our timing. God owes us no explanation for what He does or does not do or the timing with which He does it. As humans, we pray for things based upon our knowledge. However, God knows the entire picture and will move or not move based upon His divine plan. We cannot get so tied up with where we think God should be, that we miss where He really is. We think because God has not done it yet, He will not do it at all. He is just waiting on the correct time. Delay is not denial. God deals in promises and processes. He gives a promise and then sets about a process to make the promise come about. No one likes the process. The process is difficult. If He revealed the process, many would say no thanks to the promise, because the process would be too daunting. However, the process is necessary to achieve the promise. If it were not for the process, we would not appreciate the promise.

The disciples were confused at the end of the earthly life of Jesus. They thought they had it all figured out and that they were just getting started, when they saw Jesus hanging on a cross saying, “It is finished.” They only saw the immediate situation. They did not have the benefit of knowing about Revelation 21:6 where it is revealed to John “It is done.” God did not abandon the disciples just as He has not abandoned any of us. The time between finished and done is where the promise is fulfilled. Just because God has finished, it does not mean that He is done.

If we were to make a list of things that changed history it would be a long list indeed. The invention of gunpowder, the adoption of the trinity as the God head, the discovery of sugar, Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, the flight of the Wright brothers, the invention of technology and the computer would all make the list. Bro. Stevison looks over the list of life changing events and things and points out that the secular world leaves out the account of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. But Jesus was more than just a man. He was a man, but his identity transformed that. Jesus was God in the flesh. When God became man, He became what He was not, but remained what He was. Bro. Stevison lists several things that Jesus was and did concluding that one of the things that Jesus was is mercy. Son in a sense, not only was Jesus hanging from the cross, mercy was hanging from the cross. He poses the question: What did mercy see while hanging from that cross?

Mercy Saw:

The accusers – Those that crucified him.

The doubter – One of the thieves doubted who Jesus was “If you are who you say you are, get us out of this”

The seeker – The other thief knew that Jesus could help his situation.

The future – He saw beyond the cross and saw us in our struggles and a people who needed mercy and grace.

We make our decisions based upon external influences and human perceptions. Mercy sees things differently than we do. It is a good thing God does not let our past dictate our relationship with Him and the kingdom of God. Jesus saw all from the cross, and said “Father Forgive them.” This declaration is a key to our future. No matter what we have done, Jesus extends mercy and forgives us. Our past will not dictate His extension of mercy and grace. His mercy and grace are new every day. God’s mercy sees us differently than we see ourselves. While he was hanging from the cross, He extended forgiveness for all that had happened to Him. He extends that same forgiveness today.

If we were to make a list of things that changed history it would be a long list indeed. The invention of gunpowder, the adoption of the trinity as the God head, the discovery of sugar, Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, the flight of the Wright brothers, the invention of technology and the computer would all make the list. Bro. Stevison looks over the list of life changing events and things and points out that the secular world leaves out the account of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. But Jesus was more than just a man. He was a man, but his identity transformed that. Jesus was God in the flesh. When God became man, He became what He was not, but remained what He was. Bro. Stevison lists several things that Jesus was and did concluding that one of the things that Jesus was is mercy. Son in a sense, not only was Jesus hanging from the cross, mercy was hanging from the cross. He poses the question: What did mercy see while hanging from that cross?

Mercy Saw:

The accusers – Those that crucified him.

The doubter – One of the thieves doubted who Jesus was “If you are who you say you are, get us out of this”

The seeker – The other thief knew that Jesus could help his situation.

The future – He saw beyond the cross and saw us in our struggles and a people who needed mercy and grace.

We make our decisions based upon external influences and human perceptions. Mercy sees things differently than we do. It is a good thing God does not let our past dictate our relationship with Him and the kingdom of God. Jesus saw all from the cross, and said “Father Forgive them.” This declaration is a key to our future. No matter what we have done, Jesus extends mercy and forgives us. Our past will not dictate His extension of mercy and grace. His mercy and grace are new every day. God’s mercy sees us differently than we see ourselves. While he was hanging from the cross, He extended forgiveness for all that had happened to Him. He extends that same forgiveness today.