“WHEN ILL WINDS BEGIN TO BLOW!”---1 SAMUEL 12:16-25

INTRO:  Israel needed convicted of their sin in desiring a king.  They were being oppressed by their enemies they thought because they had no king.  But v 9 gives us the real reason, “they forgot the LORD their God…”.  Their problem then was not the lack of a king, but their forgetfulness of God!

‘Because of their forgetfulness, twice we are told that they “cried unto

the LORD” for help (vv. 8, 10).  It is sad, but true, that many of God’s

people cry out to Him only when they find themselves in an oppressing situation.  When all else fails, they turn to the Lord.  But  in v 12, their cry is not to the Lord, but unto Samuel.  They are  looking to a man and not to God.  Psa 118: 8—“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.” 

I.          THE CAUSE OF THE STORM  --1 SAMUEL 12:17

*Words were not enough to impress the Israelites about the seriousness of

their evil.  They did not respond to Samuel’s message of condemnation. 

So this thunderstorm was ordered to get their attention.

 *Many people today can hear the message of God over and over and over and it seems to have little or no effect on them, but just let the ill winds begin to blow, the thunder start to crash, and they begin looking to God for help!

 II.       THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE STORM---1 SAM. 12:17-19

A.      THE RUIN OF CROPS (v17).  Many times God has to take something dear to us for Him to get our attention!  Normally harvest season in Israel was a dry season so crops could be harvested on time and without loss.  These crops were their livelihood.  It was what would sustain them in the winter months.

B.      THE RESPECT OF AUTHORITY (v18).  Israel had problems of respecting both God and Samuel in their demand for a king.  They had rejected Samuel’s good government and they had rejected God as being their king.

 ***I want you to notice the order here, “…greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.”  This is the divine order.  A failure to respect God, which means to reverence Him, will always lead to disrespect of God’s servants!***

C.      THE REPENTANCE OF SIN (v19b).  This thunderstorm forced out of their lips a confession which to this point they were unwilling to make. Why is it that ill winds must begin to blow, and the thunder crash, and the lightning flash before some people will realize their sin and disobedience against God?   

D.      THE REQUEST FOR PRAYER (v19a).  Notice after the storm came all the people desired Samuel to pray for them.  Many pastors have been in Samuel’s shoes.  They have been criticized, scorned, and pushed aside by church members until the day when the ill winds begin to blow and the storms begins to rage in that person’s life and then they ring the pastor’s phone, and say, “Pastor, please I need you now.  Come see me.  Please pray for me!” 

III.       THE COUNSEL AFTER THE STORM---1 SAMUEL 12:20-25

 A.      THE PURSUIT OF GOD (v20).  The storms of life will do one of two things: 1) they will either draw us closer to God, or else, 2) they will drive us farther from Him.  If we want the blessing of God in our lives, we must faithfully follow Him during the storm and when the storm is past!

B.      THE PROMISES OF GOD (v22).  Israel may have thought the storm was a sign that God had forsaken them.  But this was not the case at all!  In fact, it was a proof of His love! (Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:6).

 C.      THE PRAYERS OF GODLY PEOPLE (vv. 19, 23).  We as God’s people must share our burdens with one another!  And it is our duty to pray for one another!  When we fail to do this, we sin (v23a).  James 5:16b says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

D.      THE PERFORMANCE OF SERVICE (v20b, 24).  Many of the storms that come our way might be avoided if only we would serve the Lord faithfully. Some give some, others give more, but very few give their all!  God wants our all, our BEST (Proverbs 3:9)!

 E.      THE PIETY TOWARDS GOD (v24a).  Many problems in life and in our world today are a direct result of a lack of fear and respect toward God!  Oh, how great He is and greatly to be feared!  Psalm 4:4 tells us to “Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.”

F.      THE PRAISE FOR GOD (v24b).  We live in an unthankful world.  Even many of God’s people take fore granted the blessings of God upon them (Psalm 139:17-18).  Here we are told to “consider how great things he hath done for you.”  “Consider” here means “to observe the greatness of God’s ways.” 

 G.     THE PUNISHENT OF EVIL (v25).  Samuel had spoken to them of God’s grace and of God’s precepts, but if these were ignored, God’s judgment would come!  God can and many times does, deliver us from the storms of life.  But if we persist in our disobedience the next storm we face will be even more severe!