Monuments To Ourselves

King Saul of Israel was one impressive dude. He came from one of the best of families and possessed the best of looks. Considered the most handsome man in Israel, his good looks were impressively accentuated by his tall stature. 1 Samuel 9:2 says Saul stood head and shoulders above everyone else. When you took-in Saul, you looked up, and his appearance didn't disappoint.

Had there been an Israelite Idol television show, Saul would have been the hands- down winner. When the people demanded a king, there was therefore little surprise that it was Saul that the prophet Samuel anointed. It was as if this gifted and skilled military victor was destined for that role. He was "The Man".

When we read about King Saul in 1 Samuel 14, he has his priorities strait. After some early successes as Israel's leader, Saul does the right thing: He builds an altar to God (1 Samuel 14:35). Saul knew who was responsible for his achievements - God alone.

Saul soon neglected the Source of his success however.

Twenty-eight short verses later, in 15:12, King Saul built a second monument. This monument wasn't a monument to God, but a monument to .....well .... Saul. Success can cause us to build personal monuments - perhaps just in our minds, but monuments nonetheless. Saul got caught-up with himself, his great victories and the hero worship of those around him. His personal dependence on God was replaced by his personal pride. He went from building monuments to God to erecting monuments to himself.

Sadly, Saul's success dropped like a rock from that moment forward. His genius lost its luster. His popularity suffered. His emotions got out of control and his reign became a total disaster. He lost his blessing, his success and his life as a result of his pride. It all started when the first brick of his monument to himself was put in place.

May we learn from Saul's mistakes.

Now that's the heart of the matter.