A few places in the Bible speak of God regretting some decision He made towards man and how it grieved His heart. He regretted that He made man, He regretted, making Saul King over Israel, and it grieved His heart that Israel, His chosen people, rebelled against Him. The word used for grief (Genesis 6:6) has the meaning of pain and hurt, a deep pain that’s carved into Him. So, it was not a light thing for the Bible to say that He was grieved, and He regretted something. But even with this deep pain, He still forgave humans again and again.

In the Days of Noah

Genesis 6:5-8

The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.”But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

God was grieved and wanted to wipe out all the evil upon the earth, but because He found one man who pleased Him, He made a way for humanity to survive, and they received another chance.

God regretted King Saul

Context: God told Saul to destroy the Amalekites completely, but the Bible tells us that Saul did not do this. Then God said:

“I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night (1 Samuel 15:11)

…

Verses 16-23, 35

 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.”And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?”And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” And Samuel said,

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
    as in obeying the voice of the Lord?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to listen than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is as the sin of divination,
    and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
    he has also rejected you from being king.”

…

And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel. (1 Samuel 15:35)

God made Saul king and gave him a great responsibility of leading His people, and when God sent him on a mission, he blatantly disobeyed God’s command. And Samuel reminds us here that it is important to obey God more than anything else. I can see how easy it is to fall into this same circumstance as Saul. God has taken us as His people and made us His intermediary between Himself and all other human beings. We are supposed to represent him and share the gospel with them, but its so easy to make excuses just like Saul.

As we make excuses, do we realise that we are failing the mission that God has sent us on and that we are disobeying God’s command?

The Lord’s Mercy Remembered (Isaiah 63:7-10)

 I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord,
    the praises of the Lord,
according to all that the Lord has granted us,
    and the great goodness to the house of Israel
that he has granted them according to his compassion,
    according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
For he said, “Surely they are my people,
    children who will not deal falsely.”
    And he became their Savior.
In all their affliction he was afflicted,^[c]
    and the angel of his presence saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
    he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old.

But they rebelled
    and grieved his Holy Spirit;

Even Israel, God’s people grieved Him because of their blatant disobedience.

So, let us take heed of God’s word and of the message He leaves for us about disobedience. Do we want to end up like Saul, who God rejected? Do we want to have a legacy like Israel of so much disobedience? Do we want to grieve God’s heart, the one person who cares and loves us the most? No, we want God to see us as His good and faithful sons and daughters. So, let us listen to His voice, let us trust in Him and obey Him daily.

All photos were taken by Kyle or Vani. These photos are from the many adventures we have been blessed to experience together. We are so grateful for every blessing from God. No filters were used nor were the photos edited except for an occasional crop. We hope you enjoy.