Have you ever really blown it? Have you messed up to the point where you’re not sure anyone could forgive you, not even God? Saul seems to have been in such a situation. He had chosen the path of pragmatism over faithfulness to God’s commands when he refused to destroy all the livestock of the nation of Amalek (15:2-3, 15). As a result of his disobedience, Samuel had told Saul that the Lord had rejected him as king over God’s people (15:26). Worst of all, Samuel had made it clear that God would not change His mind about His judgment (15:29).

And the sad fact is that our sins do indeed carry consequences with them. If, for example, if you break a promise to pay back a debt, it’s unlikely that anyone else will lend you money in the future, right? And some relationships can be strained past the point of breaking, so that they can never truly be mended. Samuel thus made it clear that Saul and his children would not continue to rule over God’s people, no matter what Saul did (see also 13:13-14).

But just because God rejected Saul as a king doesn’t mean He also had to reject Saul as a man. After all, even when such a spectacular sinner as King Manasseh turned back to God, he was forgiven (II Chronicles 33:10-13). So, surely Saul could have thrown himself on the mercy of the Lord, confessing his sin and asking, if not to continue his reign as king, then at least to have some relief from the evil spirit that was tormenting him (16:14).

But Saul refused to pray such a prayer. In fact, the rest of the book of I Samuel illustrates how Saul continued to resist God’s judgment by doing everything he could to keep the royal title within his own family. Oh, he was happy to have David’s music help soothe the symptoms of his spiritual affliction (16:23). But Saul didn’t really want to be healed, to have his relationship with God to be restored.

So, have you messed up today? Have you really blown it? Don’t just look to your faith for comfort while you keep travelling down the same sinful path. Turn around. Confess your sin to the God Who bled and died to prove His love for you. For He has promised to pardon those who truly repent – and He will not change His mind about that either.

I Samuel 16:14-23 (NASB)

14 Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD terrorized him.
15 Saul’s servants then said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is terrorizing you.
16 “Let our lord now command your servants who are before you. Let them seek a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come about when the evil spirit from God is on you, that he shall play the harp with his hand, and you will be well.”
17 So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me now a man who can play well, and bring him to me.”
18 Then one of the young men answered and said, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in speech, and a handsome man; and the LORD is with him.”
19 So Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me your son David who is with the flock.”
20 And Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread and a jug of wine and a young goat, and sent them to Saul by David his son.
21 Then David came to Saul and attended him, and Saul loved him greatly; and he became his armor bearer.
22 And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David now stand before me; for he has found favor in my sight.”
23 So it came about whenever the evil spirit from God came to Saul, David would take the harp and play it with his hand; and Saul would be refreshed and be well, and the evil spirit would depart from him.