ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TUSITE MA’ASI 31, 2026

1 SAMIUELA 15-17; NOMIPA 23:19-20

We serve a God who is sure. He knows no mystery, never lies, makes no mistakes, and has no regrets.

‘Oku tau tauhi ki ha ‘Otua pau. ‘Oku ‘ikai ha me’a ‘e puli kiate ia, ‘oku ‘ikai te ne loi, ‘ikai ha fehalaaki pea ‘oku ‘ikai ha feto’oaki.

Every human being is burdened at some point by regrets. We all look back and wish we hadn't said certain things. We are burdened by poor choices we made or by decisions we wish we could remake. As a dad, I wish I could remove some conversations with my children from history and from their memories. Sin mars our track record. The path behind us is littered with mistakes, weaknesses, failures, and sins. Along the way we've had to face our regrets, confess our sins, admit our weaknesses, and run again and again to our Lord's forgiving grace. There will be a day of no more regrets, no more sin to confess, and complete liberation from our weaknesses, but we regularly prove that we are not there yet. This is why I find comfort and hope in the declaration Samuel made after he announced that God had rejected disobedient Saul as king: "The Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret" (1 Sam. 15:29). Repeat to yourself, "God is not like me. God is not like me. God is not like me," and then bask in the glorious comfort of those words.

Human relationships are messy, difficult, and hurtful because we fail, we do regrettable things, we carry weakness with us, and we are less than perfect. Every good premarital counselor warns the prospective husband and wife that they are marrying someone less than perfect. The shalom of a human community free from regret was shattered the moment Adam and Eve conspired to disobey God. But God is not like us. He is the absolute perfection of perfection. His every intention is completely pure. The complete perfection of his holiness means he cannot lie. He never needs a second chance or a fresh start. He never needs to be forgiven. He will forever have nothing to confess. He is the definition of what it means to be holy, right, and true all of the time, in every place, and in every way. No regrets, no lies-God is not like us.

In a moment of massive human failure (Saul's) with massively significant consequences (Israel is once again without a king), Samuel points Israel and us to where unfailing hope can be found. We live in a world where we-and everyone and everything around us-fail us in some way. But we can entrust ourselves to one who never lies and has no regrets. God is not like us; he is perfectly sure and eternally trustworthy. Preach to yourself the gospel of God's perfection, and rest in his unfailing care.