Obedience...

Daniel took me to a shabu lunch yesterday for my birthday. We talked and argued about faith, politics and mostly he just complained about how government and real estate market is screwing him over... ;) He said he should've paid more attention to the foreclosure rates instead of just seeing the rising home prices at the time. So apparently foreclosures or notices from bank on defaults can perhaps be a good indicator of the market's health. During '96~97, it was pretty cheap and forclosure rates were much higher... and based on this chart, foreclosure is inching up again! Wonder what it looks like for 07 and 08...

Anyway, the economy or the market is very similar to human heart in some respect..., they can both be humble at times... and then very proud in other times! Sure would be nice if we can consistently stay balanced instead of end up going off to the extremes.

Didn't get a chance to do my devotions yesterday... sorry God!!! Anyway, so I read more of Saul today. Saul really was pretty cool and humble in the beginning. Where did he go wrong? You make him a king... and then boom, all of a sudden, all the humility's gone?!?!?

Anyway, I think it all began when he failed to trust and obey God when he was ordered to destroyed the Amalekites, but instead, he used his own wisdom and kept some of the goodies for himself and he also spared the Agag king of Amalekites...(in the story of Esther, Haman the Agagite is rumored to be descendants of that..., in the movie Esther, although the king was killed by Samuel, but it showed the queen escaped...)

Bottomline is Saul disobeyed, and it all went down hill for him ever since. Ended up with this restless, injurous, envious or evil spirit..., in a way, he's still sort of a seeker of God, but God has forsook him. He seeked God only because of the good things God can provide him with..., he's not really a genuine lover of God... for otherwise, he would've obeyed better!

Hmm..., Lord God Almighty, please help us to obey You better! Even during times when we don't understand... or when we don't feel like obeying... please help us obey anyway! Force us if You have too! Please don't allow us to go down the same path as Saul...