1 Samuel 13:12
“Therefore said I, The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD: I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering.”
The verse above was truly the turning point of Saul’s life. Saul was a good man by God’s own admission, but good men are faced with turning points that will determine their course for the rest of one’s life. Samuel was supposed to come at an appointed time to sacrifice before Israel went off to war. Because Samuel delayed his coming without any notice, Saul presumptuously took the duties of the prophet into his own hands which was a direct contradiction to God’s Word. Certainly, Saul had some good excuses as to why he did this, but those excuses were simply the turning point of his life that turned a good man into an evil one. There are three lessons we can learn from this turning point in Saul’s life.
First, you are always responsible for your own actions. We live in times when people are always looking for an excuse to blame their actions upon, but you must always remember that you are responsible for your own actions. Romans 14:12 says, “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Saul wasn’t to give an account for Samuel not being there on time, but he was to give an account to God for himself when someone else didn’t fulfill their responsibility. The turning point of your life will be whether you take full responsibility for your own actions or if you are going to blame your actions upon another.
Second, another’s lack of character only reveals your level of character. Samuel not arriving on time only revealed Saul’s character level. Character does right whether or not anyone else does right. When you find yourself in a situation where others lack character, it will reveal your character level. A person with character doesn’t rely on the actions of others to determine their own actions. A person with character determines their actions by right and wrong. The turning point of your life will be determined when others around you do wrong. It will reveal your character. My advice is to always do right. Don’t let their lack of character cause you to lower your level of character. A person with character rises to the top when the character of others around them decreases.
Third, excuses are a revelation of your heart. When Saul started giving excuses, it revealed that his heart’s true focus was upon himself. This whole situation revealed that Saul was more concerned with Saul than he was in obeying God. If he had kept his eyes on God, he would have done right and wouldn’t have had to give excuses. His excuses simply revealed his heart. Always remember that whatever excuse you give is only revealing who you truly are. The turning point of your life will come down to whether you keep your eyes on God or man. When excuses start flowing from your lips, you are revealing that your focus of life is on man because you are more concerned with what man thinks than God. If your focus is upon God, you will take responsibility for your actions so that you can keep your heart in tune with God.
Friend, these three areas of life are truly turning points in your life. Yes, they are all tied together, but each turning point in and of itself is an individual decision. If you want your life to turn out right in the end, you need to make the proper decisions at each of these turning points.