Self-Compelled

I've been preaching through I Samuel in my Sunday evening trek through the OT, and as I came to chapter 13 I was reminded of how important it is to have "community" around you to discuss Scriptures and point out things you missed. Or else your own heart begins to compel you in directions that are not in line with the Truth.

For example, Dave C. told me he was really struck by Saul's statement in I Samuel 13:12 that he "felt compelled" to offer the sacrifices, when he was specifically told by God to wait for Samuel. As Saul watched his troops disappear, his heart told him something opposite to what God was telling him. So he acted in fear and disobedience instead of waiting on God.

Without true community around us, we can start to feel compelled by our own heart to make decisions that are contrary to God's word and think that this inner compelling must make it right. Our voice becomes the dominant voice in our heart and there's no one there to snap us out of it. We watch fearfully as our 'troops' begin to disappear. Maybe it's money, or health, or relationships, or just the steady drip of time (and thus our dreams) and we feel compelled to act on our own instead of waiting upon God.

Without the Voice of Truth and the voices of the Body, it's easy to fall into the trap that Saul fell into: the self-delusion of our own compelling. Get into a community and wait upon the Lord. I never would have meditated upon this passage if someone in my community had not pointed it out, and I am richer for that. Hopefully this will now be transferred on Sunday night to an even larger community as many are worried about their 'troops' disappearing in this economy. See how it works? The Body enables me to hear the Father with greater clarity, and His word can spread even further.

"It is not good for man to be alone." He will eventually become self-compelled - a very dangerous dwelling place.