Fear the Lord and Faithfully Serve Him
Jon: Would you rather be startled/scared by me every day or serve me food every day?
Bradon: I don’t know – What is this have to do with our story.
Jon: Well our lesson is to Fear the Lord and faithfully serve him
Bradon: I think you are giving people the wrong idea.
Discussion Episode
1 Samuel 12
About the Story
Bradon: I could see that. Ok before we go any further. Our lesson isn’t talking about fear as in being scared. But fear as in honouring God and knowing that at any moment he could crush you!
Jon: You made my point perfectly about fear. I don’t want God to crush me.
Bradon: No that’s not what I mean. I know that’s what I said but you took a different point out what I said. Let’s just get into our story and we will clarify at the end. Besides, I know you know what the lesson actually means and you are just goofing around!
Jon: Samuel had made Saul King and last week he stepped up in a big way and rescued the town of Jabesh and absolutely destroyed the Ammonites their enemy.
Bradon: It was a very gruesome story. But the big lesson was that we ought to trust God even in our faults.
Jon: Yeah we say that Saul was not perfect but he still trusted God!
Bradon: That’s right
Jon: One more thing about last week. Noah did a great job. I am not sure I appreciated the old man Jon talk but you guys did well together! We might have to have him back from time to time!
Bradon: Yeah it was fun to have Noah in your seat and it’s good to have you back!
Jon: Ok so our story today is found 1 Samuel Chapter 12. The battle is done things have gone well. Saul is made king in a ceremony at Gilgal. Everything is great and then….
Bradon: Yes. and then – Samuel begins a speech. And makes things kind of awkward and weird.
Jon: that’s a really fair statement.
Application
Bradon: So as awkward as the may have been for Saul. These were really important things for Israel to hear but the key lesson Jon and I would like to restate is this.
Jon: Fear the Lord and faithfully serve him.
Bradon: Now this does not mean live in constant fear of God ruining your life. Just because he is capable of that doesn’t mean he wants to or will.
Jon: That’s right. We can have an abundance of confidence when we put God first.
Bradon: Despite Israel rejecting God as their leader, their King, he was willing to bless them and allow them to have a king even though that wasn’t part of his plan for them.
Jon: God is being super gracious and patient and that’s why we don’t need to dread meeting with God.
Bradon: Unless of course you are choosing to sin and rejecting God – then it’s pretty clear that God will allow the sin to destroy a person’s life.
Jon: So to reiterate, Fear the Lord respect, honour and submit to the Lord and faithfully serve him.
Bradon: Well said. See I knew you knew what fearing God actually meant.
