1 Samuel 26 … Consider His Boundless Biddings

Originally posted: 12/13/2019

Did you feel as though you had read the story chronicled in 1 Samuel 26 before? Saul finding himself at the mercy of David, and David finding himself in a place requiring total abandonment to the LORD… again…

Today I was struck with the Lord’s abundant enticements to come and receive His mercy and grace, again and again. He tirelessly invites and bids us come to the place of our greatest need, to repentance and faith.

These are not one-time offers, they are His Boundless Biddings to come and receive what we so desperately need and what only He can provide.

Consider His Boundless Biddings

• His Boundless Biddings bid us to surrender to Him in repentance.
  • God had placed Saul in the position of recipient, yet again, of His undeserved mercy; granting him the opportunity to truly repent. Not to merely speak words of confession, but to truly turn away from his sinful actions.
    • Then Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again because my life was precious in your sight this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have committed a serious error,” (26:21).

• His Boundless Biddings bid us to submit to Him in faith.
  • David again has an opportunity to cast all human logic aside and boldly place his full confidence, faith and trust in the LORD as Saul is delivered, yet again into his hands.
    • “…for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I refused to stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed,” (26:23).

How do we respond to His Boundless Biddings?

We must begin by agreeing with His diagnosis of our condition.

 …for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23).

We must accept His only remedy offered for our desperately fatal condition.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 6:23).

We accept His perfect and complete remedy when we surrender to Him in repentance, turn from our sin and place our faith in the sacrifice Jesus offered as payment for our sin, a debt we can never pay.

“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel,” (Mark 1:15).

But after repentance and faith, what next? More opportunities for repentance and faith…how generous He is! His Biddings are Boundless because we are so prone to fall. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us, (1 John 1:8).

• His Boundless Biddings bid us to surrender to Him in repentance.
  • True repentance reverses our direction, leading us away from our sin as we yield and turn to God. Confession is not merely spoken words; it is the attitude of the heart fully agreeing with God about our sin and acknowledging our sin is against Him alone.
  • May our hearts be broken by our sin that we would confess and repent in response to His Boundless Biddings.
    • For I know my transgressions,
      And my sin is ever before me.
      ⁴ Against You, You only, I have sinned
      And done what is evil in Your sight, (Psalm 51:3-4).
      
    • If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness, (1 John 1:9).

• His Boundless Biddings bid us to submit to Him in faith.
  • The challenges, temptations, and hardships we all face in life constitute the fertile ground in which faith can thrive.
  • May we be truly grateful for events and situations that provide opportunities to overcome the challenges, temptations, and hardships by faith as we respond to His Boundless Biddings.
    • I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, (Philippians 4:13).
      
    • Who is the one who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God? (1 John 5:5).

May we grow and thrive in surrender and submission to His Boundless Biddings as we respond in repentance and faith.

Let’s Grow Together!