There Goes The Neighborhood.

So reads the tombstone of Rodney Dangerfield, the comedian who made a living poking fun at himself and everyone else. Consistent to the end.

How would you like to be remembered?

Certainly not like King Saul. Wounded and facing death in battle, Saul took his own life. The chronicler wrote: Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned his kingdom over to David son of Jesse.

Dead, gone, his legacy erased—tough ending for Saul. Although he started strong, Saul veered from the ways of the Lord and never returned—that’s the tragedy his life represents.

As sinful humans we all veer, but the refusal to turn back to the Lord leads ultimately to disaster. Life gets long, and we make plenty of wrong choices. Remember God welcomes us back when we approach him once again in repentance and humility.

A better epitaph would have read A Man Who Turned Back To The Lord. Too late for Saul—not too late for you and me.

1 Chronicles 10 in reading the Bible in 2023

Photo by Alan Light