Serve the Lord with All Your Heart!
Dear Lord, I pray for wisdom for those who do not turn aside from following the Lord, and serve the Lord with all their heart. In Jesus’ name, amen.
At the conclusion of Samuel’s so-called Farewell Address, the people plead with Samuel to pray for them.
His words of wisdom in Samuel 12:19-25 (ESV) offer important guidance and a warning.
“And all the people said to Samuel, ‘Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die, for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for ourselves a king.’ And Samuel said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you, and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart. For consider what great things he has done for you. But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.”
The people of Israel knew they had done wrong, yet Samuel tells them to “Do not be afraid.” Even with all of the sin, the Lord was not willing to forsake his people.
Are you a situation where you feel you are beyond forgiveness?
Ask the Lord to forgive. If there was hope for the people of Israel, there is hope for the sinner through faith in Christ.
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