1 Samuel 12:3–4: “’Here I am. Witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed: Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe with which to blind my eyes? I will restore it to you.’ And they said, ‘You have not cheated us or oppressed us, nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.’”

May 21st, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

When Samuel said, “Witness against me,” he was asking for the people to testify if they had anything against him for something he had failed to perform or correct. He was asking them if he had ever broken any promise or failed to deal fairly with them in any matter. Wow. This is a challenge to any person in a position of leadership no matter what arena of life. Anyone can say they have integrity but it’s their actions that are the true indicators. Could we stand up before the people who know us best and say this?

Character and integrity were at issue here both publicly and privately. Everyone agreed Samuel was blameless. To Samuel that meant they did not seek a king because as a judge he had done something ethically wrong. Samuel understood a critical secret in life sometimes called “first-accountability to God.” If we see ourselves as working for God rather than men, we will seek to please God and the result will be that we will also deal with others truly and fairly.

Charles Reade, British novelist and dramatist, showed that he understood character and integrity when he said, “Sow an act, and you reap a habit. Sow a habit, and you reap a character. Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.” It’s easier to build character and guard it than it is to rebuild it after it’s been lost. The beginning of character repair is facing our flaws, repenting, and dealing with them. Repentance is a good and needful thing in every believer’s walk. Struggling with a character issue? Go back to the sinful act and repent. God is gracious and forgiving when we come in brokenness and humility.

“LORD, cleanse us from our sins, and help us to get it right today.”

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1 Samuel 12 KJV

¹ And Samuel said unto all Israel, Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me, and have made a king over you. ² And now, behold, the king walketh before you: and I am old and grayheaded; and, behold, my sons are with you: and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day. ³ Behold, here I am: witness against me before the LORD, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.   ⁴ And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken ought of any man’s hand. ⁵ And he said unto them, The LORD is witness against you, and his anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found ought in my hand. And they answered, He is witness. ⁶ And Samuel said unto the people, It is the LORD that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.  ⁷ Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD of all the righteous acts of the LORD, which he did to you and to your fathers.   ⁸ When Jacob was come into Egypt, and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, which brought forth your fathers out of Egypt, and made them dwell in this place. ⁹And when they forgat the LORD their God, he sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them. ¹⁰ And they cried unto the LORD, and said, We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD, and have served Baalim and Ashtaroth: but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve thee. ¹¹ And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelled safe. ¹² And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, Nay; but a king shall reign over us: when the LORD your God was your king. ¹³ Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you. ¹⁴If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:   ¹⁵ But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers. ¹⁶ Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. ¹⁷ Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king. ¹⁸ So Samuel called unto the LORD; and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel. ¹⁹ And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king. ²⁰ And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart; ²¹And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things , which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain. ²² For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. ²³ Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good and the right way:  ²⁴ Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for consider how great things he hath done for you. ²⁵ But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king.