1 Samuel 15:22-23 (But Samuel replied:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”

This is arguably one of the greatest truths in the Old Testament. It is perfectly in line with Jesus’ statement that “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.” (John 14:23) Saul had already made it clear he loved himself more than he loved God. Verse 12 of this chapter tells us that Saul had set up a monument in his own honor. He had no grasp of the reality that he could do nothing without God. We are a lot like him! Rather than being grateful for what God enables us to do, we take personal pride in our accomplishments and get puffed up, trusting ourselves and the gifts God has given us more than we trust God Himself. I think God allowed Saul to be king precisely because he was so typical of human attitudes, and so became an object lesson for us all. God can and does use people who are not really submitted to Him, but they don’t personally benefit from it without that submission. I am reminded of some people in the US government right now. They are accomplishing some good things, but humility seems to be in short supply. Assurance of what God can do through them is a good thing, and sometimes that can look like conceit, so being judgmental at this point is risky. However, the degree to which God is given the glory will be a major factor in the long-term benefits of any action.

This, of course, applies to me as much as it does to anyone. I am reminded of a line from Don Francisco’s song about Balaam: “So if the Lord starts using you, don’t you pay it any mind. He could have used the dog next door, if He’d been so inclined.” I am never to think that I can do anything without God, but I am also never to think that God can’t use me to do whatever He likes. I am to keep myself available to Him at all times in all ways, to speak or act, or to be silent or refrain from acting. My wisdom is as nothing compared to His, so the wisest thing I can do is listen and obey. Japan is a good place for a Christian worker to learn humility! The “return on investment” is uniquely low here, but this is where I have been planted. At this point my major task is to believe that God is indeed going to fulfill the vision He has given us. It’s very clear that can’t be done by human strength, and at this point it is even difficult to believe that it could happen, but God does give faith. I am not to rely on human strength or wisdom, either my own or that of anyone else, but I am to trust that God’s strength and wisdom are more than up to the task.

Father, I know full well that burnout is a symptom of looking to myself and to people rather than to You. It is clear that I can’t even rest, relax, and rejoice, as You have told me to do, without Your strong help. Show me how to trust You without being passive, to believe without feeling entitled. Help me operate fully in Your strength rather than my own, because my own is really just weakness. Thank You. Praise God!