Those Doggone Buts

# 209 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:13,14, “Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD." 14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" (1 Sam 15:13,14) Saul, couldn't wait to tell Samuel of his obedience to the Lord's command. He starts off with a little schmoozing of Samuel. “Hey Samuel, you're the best man!” “Look I have accomplished what the Lord told me to do, I have wiped out the Amalekites!” “BUT Samuel,” (oh those doggone “but” words of the Bible.) And Samuel pulls out one of God's favorite ploys. He asks a question that God and Samuel already know the answer too. “What is this sound of animals I'm hearing?” Saul is busted, he has some “susplaining” to do. God asks us these questions out of love. He gives us an opportunity to examine our motives for our actions. When Adam and Eve sinned, God came walking in the garden and asked, “Adam, where are you?” He knew perfectly well where Adam was, but Adam needed to know where he was and so God asks. Saul may have felt that he had accomplished all the Lord told him to do, but the noisy animals gave him away. He had not “put them to the ban” as the Lord commanded. We have a similar command in Eph 4:31 Let ALL bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be PUT AWAY from you, with all malice. (My caps) Dear Christian, have you put these things away in your life? “Oh yes I have!” Then what are these Facebook posts I am reading denigrating our president, or an ex-spouse, or other people who do not agree with your viewpoint. And what is this bleating gossip that I am hearing at the water cooler in the office? We have a choice here. We can either make excuses as Saul did, or we can get on our knees and ask God for forgiveness and the help of the Holy Spirit to put these actions away from our lips today and every day.