"Why Me, Lord?"

When I was younger my mom used to always play the cassette tape by Shaggy whenever something stressful was going on. We would would drive around town and the town's park in our little red Geo Tracker with the stereo turned all the way up. I didn't know exactly what Shaggy was singing about but I still sang along. One of the records of the time was "Why Me, Lord?" Again, I either didn't have the comprehension of what the song was really about or my hearing even at that young age was going out, but for the longest time I swore he was singing "White meatloaf." True story.

Well, either if you are wrestling with hearing lose or sincerely weighing this question-we have all at some point in life asked: "Why me, Lord?"

I would like to shed some brief light on the matter by taking a look at parts of David's life in 1 Samuel. But before I get there I want to begin where the Lord took me today for devotions: Matthew 12

Go ahead and read the whole chapter.

The verse I would like to pull out is a verse I have mentioned a few posts back,

 "I desire mercy and not sacrifice." 

This quote from Jesus is really a reference to Hosea 6 verse six, which says:

"For I desire loyalty and not sacrifice, 

the knowledge of God

rather than burnt offerings."

But did you know that Hosea chapter 6 is really referencing another story as well?

This is where 1 Samuel comes in. Originally when I was reading Matthew 12 I was wanting to focus more on David, which took me to chapter 21 of 1 Samuel. But this was such a small snip-bit of what was going on that I had to go back further. Thus, begins our journey. 

1 Samuel 15-21

Lone behold, look what we find in chapter 15 verse 22:

"...to obey is better than sacrifice,

to pay attention is better than the fat of rams..."

So far we have five verbs now that the Word is declaring is better than the ceremonial religious duty of sacrifice:

obey

pay attention

mercy

loyalty

know

You might be thinking "oh great more things to add to the list!" And if you are, you are not hearing me right.

What God's chosen people (the Israelites) were doing was what God had commanded, but they missed the reason why.

You see they thought they were obeying the Lord by following the rituals, but the rituals were just suppose to be reminders. Reminders of what? Having a relationship with God.

Kind of like with the story of David. When we first think of David we immediately think him as the little boy with his sling shot shooting a pebble into the giant Goliath's' head. But there is so much more to his story. After his famous encounter with the "uncircumcised Palestine" who denounced Israel's God (the one, true living God), David is promoted to living in the King's quarters and commander of hundreds of solders. 

This little shepard boy who later become part of Jesus's lineage, is quoted saying this before striking down Goliath:

"...it is not by sword or by spear

that the LORD saves,

for the battle is the LORD'S..."

However, as time goes on and years pass what I would say happens to all of us, David traded in his confidence in Yahwey for confidence in the flesh. And where we finish our reading in chapter 21, David is rejoicing more over having the sword of Goliath handed over to him than the fact God allowed him to be eat the priest's food.

David later as we read in the Psalms becomes depressed as he is fleeing for his life from Saul. No doubt did he cry out, "Why me, Lord?"

I will undoubtedly confess that God is in the business of turning our world's upside down. "For man sees what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart."-1 Samuel 16: 7b

God had this marvelous plan in the beginning. It would be us and Him. He would be our number one and together we would rock this place. But God's chosen people saw that the other nations did things differently; they had kings. So what did God's people want? You guessed it-ice cream! No, they wanted kings (I would have chosen ice cream).

So God's chosen people's mentality became like the rest of the world's:

1. Kings
2. Priests
3. Disciples/followers/groupies/church people who show up for service more than on Christmas & Easter
4. Everybody else/those who show up for church just Christmas & Easter (it's ok, God still loves you)
5. The Outcasts (not the band)

God let them have their rulers, but as we read with Saul sooner than later these "appointed leaders" desired more fame than "anointing by the Holy Spirit." Chapter 15 in 1 Samuel is all about Saul trying to cover up his greed and lust for royalty with religious vigor. Sound like anybody you know?

So God turned the tables. Since His people were missing the point, the "first were going to be last and the last first":

1. The Outcasts
2. Everybody else
3. The Devoted/Followers
4. Leaders
5. Donald Trump um I mean the rich people

Over and over again scripture tells of the outcast, the weakling, the child, who makes a difference. 

1 Corinthians 1:27New International Version (NIV)

27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

Why?

Because it was they who obeyed. It was they who paid attention, who showed mercy, had loyalty, and displayed true knowledge...that knowledge beginning with fearing the God of the heavens not man.

So why has God chosen you?

Probably because you were the last one picked in p.e class? I would say so;)