Former Blackout Artist

Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” 1Samuel 15:10

One of the worst decisions I’ve made in my life was about 20 years ago when, in a moment of utter weakness and foolishness, I purchased a timeshare. And my wife, bless her heart, had even warned me ahead of time. “We should just cancel this.. they’re only after our money. It’s a 2-hour presentation, and that’s time we could be spending with the kids on the beach. Besides, we really don’t need these freebies they’re offering.” But one of the freebies was a complimentary round of golf at a beautiful course near the resort where we were staying. And I really enjoyed golf.

Two hours and one slick-talking salesman later, I was the proud owner of this nice condo unit that we could use only one week out of the year, a burden that essentially strapped us with a financial obligation for life. I didn’t just buy a timeshare… I had financed a lifetime commitment. Thankfully something good would come out of the global pandemic for me. I was able to legally give the timeshare back to the company, at no penalty or cost. My investment was lost, but as the old proverb goes, “A fool and his money soon part ways.”

We all have regrets. It’s easy to look back and shoulda-coulda-woulda.

Scripture tells us that even the Lord has regrets. In Genesis 6:6, we read that after God saw how wicked people had become, “He regretted that he had made human beings on the earth.” And here in 1 Samuel 15:10, we see this same language again with the Lord telling Samuel, “I regret that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.“

In my devotion a few days ago, I mentioned that “God means what He says.” Of course this is true. But God also spoke infinite wisdom to the prophet Isaiah when He told him, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). So it stands to reason that if our thoughts are not His thoughts and our ways are not His ways, His regrets are most likely not our regrets.

When you and I have regrets, we’ve generally received new information (or consequences) that leads us to wishing we had done things differently. But God is omniscient. He knows the beginning and the end. As the all-knowing Creator, He can never be surprised by anything. Not even the disobedience of a king that He Himself appointed.

So the regret that God expresses in Genesis 6:5 and here again in 1 Samuel 15:10 is not the regret that you and I are familiar with. The Lord’s regret is based on His preference that WE would do things differently, not that He had done things differently. God’s plans are always true and perfect. In other words, our sinful disobedience brings Him sorrow and grief, not that He has second thoughts about having created us. And in this same way, I don’t believe God was wishing that He had never made Saul king. He just preferred that Saul had listened and obeyed Him.

Make no mistake, our Lord knows precisely what He’s doing. James tells us that the “Father of the heavenly lights does not change like shifting shadows” (1:17), and the author of the book of Numbers reminds us, “God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?” (23:19).

But we humans do cause God to grieve, just as our own children sometimes do things that cause us as parents to grieve over them. It is because we love them and want what’s best for them, not that we would ever wish they were never born. Just as we want our children to obey us, God wants us to listen and do what He says.

Today’s Prayer: Thank You for being a God who does not lie or change Your mind. Your promises are steadfast and true, Lord. Help us to trust in Your word and rely on Your faithfulness in every situation. Strengthen our faith and remind us daily that Your plans for us are good and unchanging. Amen.