Text: 1 Samuel 12.1-5
As the transition is made from Samuel to Saul—Israel’s first king—Samuel has the opportunity to address the nation (1 Samuel 12.1-5). It must have been a powerfully emotional moment as he asks if there is anyone who can accuse him of taking a bribe or perverting justice (remember, he served for years as an itinerant judge).
Recognizing he had lived with total integrity, the people respond, “You have not cheated or oppressed us. . . You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand” (1 Samuel 12.4). What a satisfying moment this must have been for Samuel, especially in light of his previous rejection by the nation!
We can imagine Samuel, looking back on a lifetime of faithful service, knowing he lived a life of integrity before both God and the nation. While opportunities to pervert justice were certainly present, he didn’t succumb. He needed no courage to ask the nation if he had wronged anyone—he knew he hadn’t.
Living a life of integrity allows us to stand with a clean conscience “in the presence of the Lord and his anointed” (1 Samuel 12.3). Today, memorize 1 Samuel 12.24 and call it to mind when you’re tempted to think, say, or do something which doesn’t meet God’s standard of integrity.
