1 Samuel 15:35 – And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul.

Lord God, Father in heaven, this emotion out of Samuel is a little surprising. It’s surprising because Saul had taken his place as leader over the people. Samuel was pushed to the background. It’s surprising because Saul had also turned his back on everything that Samuel tried to teach him. And yet here is Samuel grieving and weeping tears of sorrow over the fall from faith of his king, Saul. It shouldn’t surprise me though. Hell is that bad. A loss of faith is that bad. There no part of me that should rejoice, even quietly at a fall from grace. Instead, every part of me should weep about the pagan I met today who knew about Jesus, but completely denies him. Every part of me should weep about the Muslim who acknowledges Jesus as a prophet, but refused to confess him as God. Every part of me should weep with deep, deep sorrow over all who do not believe in Jesus. Father, forgive my cold heartedness toward them. I’ve almost become calloused to their eternal destiny. I’ve almost become cold to their unbelief. Lead me to weep tears of sorrow for them. Teach me to pray prayers that your kingdom might come to them, that faith might live in them. And help me to act on it. Keep me from sitting back while people pass by in front of me uncaring when I know that many of them are lost. Keep me from sitting silently and uncaringly about their eternity. I can’t save them, Lord, but I can tell them about you who did save them. Give me a heart like Samuel’s that grieves for souls lost and then like Paul’s who did whatever it took to save some. Amen.