1 Samuel 15:10-12
Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” Samuel was so deeply moved when he heard this that he cried out to the Lord all night.

Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, “Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal.” (NLT)

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“Houston, we have a problem.”

When we first met Saul, we met a man who was not impressed with himself. Tall, dark, and handsome? Yes.

Shy and at least a bit insecure? Indeed.

Now, we gaze upon a king who has set up a monument to himself.

Dear friends, it is not for us to set up monuments to ourselves. The best time to set up a monument for someone is after he or she is dead. Let others memorialize you and not you yourself.

As some unfortunate cases have demonstrated over the years, naming buildings, hospitals, and stadiums after individuals can prove embarrassing when it turns out an individual is a creep.

What did God think about Saul’s self-salute and the attitude producing it? Verse 11 tells us:

“I am sorry that I ever made Saul king, for he has not been loyal to me and has refused to obey my command.” 

God’s dreams for Saul were never fulfilled because Saul chose to go his own way. His loyalty was chiefly to himself. He found ways around God’s instructions. Disloyalty and disobedience make a dangerous pairing.

What does God want from leaders? The same thing he wants from you and me. See Samuel’s words of wisdom in verses 22 and 23:

But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the LORD:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the LORD,
he has rejected you as king.”

Obedience to God’s directions involves choosing God’s way instead of our way. God sees what we cannot, knows what we do not, and always leads in the best way possible. We are blessed when we hear and obey him. We are at our best when we choose to walk the path he lays out before us. We become everything he dreamed we would be when we say Yes to whatever he asks or tells us.

Saul could have been one of the All-Time Greats. Instead, he became convinced he was big enough to do what he wanted when he wanted how he wanted, no matter what God wanted. This is thin ice. This is dangerous ground. These are the seeds of destruction.

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I will hear and obey God and help others do the same.

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Our Father, give me ears to hear what you are saying to me now. Grant me a willing heart to obey your wise instruction and to trust your words of truth and life at all times. Amen.