Give the Glory To God

# 208 - Today's Du-votional comes from: 1Sa 15:12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal." ( 1 Sam 15:12) After praying all night for Saul, Samuel seeks him out to deliver the news to him concerning God's judgment against him. He is told that Saul had gone down to Gilgal, but before he went he had set up a monument to himself at Carmel. Gilgal was a very special place, if you recall, it was at Gilgal that Saul was initially inaugurated as king. It was at Gilgal that Joshua had put a monument of twelve stones to commemorate God's miraculous parting of the Jordan River. We are told in Jos 4:24 why he did this: "that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever." Please note that before Saul went to Gilgal to honor God, he first honored himself by erecting a monument at Carmel. According to the Hebrew wording here, this monument was very likely in the shape of a hand or an arm which is the symbol of power. (Even now Jesus is seated at the RIGHT HAND of the Father, He is in the position of power.) In erecting this statue of a hand or arm, Saul was warning others of his military and personal power and giving all glory and honor to himself rather than to God. This is arrogance before God, and we must never forget that He alone distributes power. When Jesus' disciples asked for positions of power in Mr 10: 37, "Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory." He responded in v40 with this, “to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared." Even when Pilate was about to sentence Jesus, Jesus said in Joh 19:11, “"You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above.” If there be any good thing accomplished in our lives today, let us not be like foolish Saul and seek credit, rather let's fall on our knees, lift our hands to the heavens and thank the good Lord for His power in whatever our situation may be.