I enjoy hiking. Fortunately where I live on the central coast of California there are numerous trails within a 10-15 minute drive. Springtime is especially picturesque with rolling green hills adorned in wildflowers and vibrant skies providing a backdrop for dramatic clouds and breathtaking sunsets. However along with the beauty of these trails, there are some plants and animals to avoid like poison oak, rattlesnakes, and occasionally mountain lions. I’ve hiked trails where mountain lions have been spotted by other hikers, but I haven’t experienced a dangerous encounter. That hasn’t been the case for deer in the area though. The deer remain safe in the forest, but when they venture into the open meadow they become easy prey for a mountain lion.
People face a similar dynamic spiritually. When people understand that God is all they need, they can thrive in his loving protection and providence. But when people feel that God is not enough they reject him in favor of trying to fulfill their needs themselves. However, that waywardness puts them at risk, because not only are they distancing themselves from God’s goodness, wisdom, providence, and protection they lack what they need to combat the challenges of this fallen world and they become vulnerable to the destructive schemes of the devil. “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:9).
Note: Everyone starts in the open meadow because their default nature is to love and serve themselves with little regard for God and others. However, the result of that lifestyle is death (Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:9-23, 6:23). Fortunately Jesus, God the Son, became a man, innocently died on our behalf to pay that death penalty for our wayward wrongdoing, and rose again to enable people to live with God under the cover of his loving protection and providence. Anyone who trusts Jesus can move from spiritual death to abundant life with God now and forever (John 3:16-21).
Discontent Leads to Destruction
In my daily Bible reading I have been studying the book of 1 Samuel. When Samuel served as priest, the nation of Israel became discontent under God’s cover. Tragically, they serve as a cautionary example of what not to do. They felt God was not enough for them. They rejected God as their king because they wanted an earthly king like the other nations. Even Saul, who became their first king, did the same thing. Instead of finding pleasure in trusting and obeying God, he chose to serve himself out of fear, jealousy, stubbornness, and pride. Both Israel and Saul suffered needlessly because of their sin.
Avoid Vain and Harmful Attractions
Here are some positive ways you can avoid the downfall of Saul and Israel.
- Respond to the truth you have already. Israel deceived themselves that an earthly king would be better than God as their king. They compared themselves to other nations and coveted what they had. They did not listen to the wise warnings from Samuel not to reject God. Therefore, they painfully discovered that an earthly king can be self-serving, oppressive, unreliable, corrupt, and can fail to protect and provide for them. In contrast, I encourage you to focus on living up to what you know to be right rather than desiring what someone else has. God always has your best interest in mind which is your salvation and restoration. His instruction is always wise, true, and relevant. He gives it for your good (Psalm 1, 119; James 1:22; Galatians 6:7-9; Colossians 3:17).
- Put God first. Israel and Saul did what they wanted, not what God wanted. Instead I encourage you to seek God’s will and his way before your own. Place yourself, your ambitions, your job, your relationships, your pleasure and your concerns secondary to him. Understand that your joy and completeness are found in him, not his blessings, just himself. Find peace and satisfaction that God, your wise, almighty, loving, and good heavenly Father, is enough (Matthew 6:19-34; John 15:1-11; 2 Peter 1:2-11).
- Submit your way to God’s way. Like sheep, Israel desired protection from warring neighbor nations and prosperity in the land God had given them. They already had this with God. But instead of trusting him to supply their every need, they took matters into their own hands and rebelled against God. Their attempts at protection and prosperity failed. That’s how your human nature and the devil work. You desire in your own reasoning or the devil allures you regarding what seems to give life and pleasure, but it ends up stealing, killing, and destroying. That’s because anything which replaces God, takes a toll on your life. In contrast, God gives life. Jesus taught, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep…I have come that they [my sheep] might have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10-11). If you remain apart from God life is being taken away from you in some way. Resist that temptation to separate or stay separated from God. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;in all your ways submit to him, and he will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6). (Also see Psalm 23:1-6, 37:3-9).
Conclusion
I encourage you to come to a place where you realize God is enough. The awesome reality is that he is more than enough. Don’t settle for anything less than him. Taste and see that he is good, right, and loving (Psalm 34). Only with him are you fully valued, accepted, and loved. Only with him is there true lasting abundance, peace, joy, hope, rest, and purpose. The lure of this world is temporary, vain, and ultimately deadly. Only with God will you be fulfilled and become all you were designed to be in Jesus. Take refuge in the shelter of his wing. Resist the temptation to venture into the open meadow of life on your own. If you are already out there, God is calling you to come in from the meadow to the forest canopy of his loving providence. Accept his invitation and become content and complete in him.