Who Am I?

1 Samuel 15-16:23

Luke 19:26 NIV  "He replied, 'I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but as for the one who has nothing, even what he has will be taken away.

I’ve always wondered how you can take something away from someone who doesn’t have anything.  I’ve quoted this verse that is stated by Jesus after he tells a Parable (Luke 19:12-25) and I’ve been reading this book long enough to know that whatever God, Jesus, Paul, etc. make a statement that points to a behavior pattern, lifestyle, or way of thought somewhere there is a “real life” example within the Words of God and today I’ve found it in the Old Testament scriptures regarding king Saul. 

Saul’s response to Samuel when told,

  “…And to whom is all the desire of Israel turned, if not to you and all your father's family?"

gives the first hint of how Saul say himself in his response to Samuel,

1 Samuel 9:21 NIV  Saul answered, "But am I not a Benjamite, from the smallest tribe of Israel, and is not my clan the least of all the clans of the tribe of Benjamin? Why do you say such a thing to me?"

When Samuel went to proclaim Saul king in front of all of Israel, Saul went and hid among the baggage,

1 Samuel 10:20-24 NIV  When Samuel brought all the tribes of Israel near, the tribe of Benjamin was chosen.  (21)  Then he brought forward the tribe of Benjamin, clan by clan, and Matri's clan was chosen. Finally Saul son of Kish was chosen. But when they looked for him, he was not to be found.  (22)  So they inquired further of the LORD, "Has the man come here yet?" And the LORD said, "Yes, he has hidden himself among the baggage."  (23)  They ran and brought him out, and as he stood among the people he was a head taller than any of the others.  (24)  Samuel said to all the people, "Do you see the man the LORD has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people." Then the people shouted, "Long live the king!"

And finally after Saul has messed up big time, we hear these words from God spoken by Samuel,

1 Samuel 15:12-17 NLT  Early the next morning Samuel went to find Saul. Someone told him, "Saul went to the town of Carmel to set up a monument to himself; then he went on to Gilgal."  (13)  When Samuel finally found him, Saul greeted him cheerfully. "May the LORD bless you," he said. "I have carried out the LORD's command!"  (14)  "Then what is all the bleating of sheep and goats and the lowing of cattle I hear?" Samuel demanded.  (15)  "It's true that the army spared the best of the sheep, goats, and cattle," Saul admitted. "But they are going to sacrifice them to the LORD your God. We have destroyed everything else."  (16)  Then Samuel said to Saul, "Stop! Listen to what the LORD told me last night!" "What did He tell you?" Saul asked.  (17)  And Samuel told him, "Although you may think little of yourself, are you not the leader of the tribes of Israel? The LORD has anointed you king of Israel.

It’s not what we think about ourselves that matters, it’s what God says about who and what we are that we must learn to believe despite appearances, and what circumstances look like.  If we don’t believe what God tells us, then we become what we believe about ourselves and what God has given us will be taken away.  Saul didn't do what he was commanded to do because he listen to the men he was suppose to be leading and not to the Words of God.