Finishing Well: A Lesson on Integrity, Faith, and the Unfailing Love of God

The book of 1 Samuel starts with a godly woman praying for a son, and that son, Samuel, grew up and became one of the most important people in Israel. He was both judge and prophet, and he led the people well. He was as godly as his mother and a great man of faith.

One day, after Saul had become king, Samuel called all of Israel to an assembly at Gilgal. It was here that Samuel’s ministry reached its highest point, and he used his position of prophet to speak God’s truth in boldness and love. This was his swan song, his farewell address to the nation, and he made the most of it.

In the first part of his speech, Samuel put himself on trial. He needed to show the people that just as he was trusted by them in the past, he could be trusted in what he was about to say. Here’s how he opened his speech:

And now, behold, the king walks before you, and I am old and gray; and behold, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my youth until this day. Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and before his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes with it? Testify against me and I will restore it to you.” They said, “You have not defrauded us or oppressed us or taken anything from any man’s hand.” (1 Samuel 12:2-3)

Samuel said, “If anyone here has any complaint against my integrity, or if I’ve ever done anything to hurt you or anyone else, let’s hear it.” And the people had nothing to say against him. I hope people can say this about me at the end of my life. I want to finish well. I want people to be able to say, “You weren’t perfect, far from it, but you made this world a better place. You didn’t have a lot of things, but you had integrity.” 

My great-great-great-grandfather, Paul Castleberry, was the pastor of my grandparents’ church in Alabama. Several years ago, the Alabama Baptist, the Baptist newspaper in Alabama, sent me copies of every mention of great-great-great Grandpa. 

An article from October 24, 1878 states, “On Saturday, the last day of August, Bro. Paul Castleberry, pastor of Mt. Pisgah church, with the assistance of brethren Cardon and Hendrix, and the writer, began a meeting which continued nine days. On Sunday morning, at the close of the meeting, Bro. Castleberry baptized 15 converts, one of whom was a lady 78 years old.  She said that she could not be satisfied without following her Lord in baptism. This church has had the services of Bro. Castleberry for 10 years.”  

His obituary in 1905 stated that Bro. Castleberry was in ministry for over 50 years. And on his tombstone in the Coosa Valley Baptist Church cemetery outside of Pell City, Alabama, are the words, “‘I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith’ – 2 Timothy 4:7.”

That’s someone who finished well. That’s someone who served faithfully for over 50 years and finished well. I want to finish well. I want my children to finish well. I want you to finish well. And the way we finish well is to have our integrity intact.

Samuel continued his speech by reminding the people of all that God had done for them, beginning with Moses and going right up to the present day. The two common themes in Samuel’s speech are that 1) it was never armies or kings or weapons who rescued Israel, but God himself, and 2) God always rescued them when they turned from their sins and prayed for his help. 

God does the same for us today. When Israel was faithless, God was faithful. He continued to love and accept them. We’re faithless at times as well, but God is always faithful to his children. No matter how far we roam from our Father, he watches over us and accepts us as he waits for us to return to him. God loves you, and he never gives up on those he loves.

But something had changed in Israel. The cycle of sin-oppression-repentance-deliverance seen throughout the book of Judges was broken the moment the people asked for a king. 

And when you saw that Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us,’ when the Lord your God was your king. (1 Samuel 12:12)

This time, when Israel was under attack, the people didn’t repent before crying out to God. They demanded a king like all the nations around them. They wanted the benefits of God without turning to him in repentance and love. God was their king, but they demanded a human king, and in doing this, they were openly rebelling against God. 

God would still bless them, Samuel said, if they obeyed God. Even the king had to realize that he was to serve and obey the Lord (v. 14). But any blessings would be due to God’s grace, not Israel’s worthiness.

In one last masterstroke of prophetic authority, Samuel did something to show Israel how displeased God was at their rejection of him as king.

Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call upon the Lord, that he may send thunder and rain. And you shall know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for yourselves a king.” (1 Samuel 12:16-17)

Right on queue, a severe thunderstorm came out of nowhere, badly damaging the stalks of grain in the fields and reducing the food supply in the land. Asking for a king wasn’t necessarily a sin. Trusting in any human instead of God Almighty was a serious sin with serious consequences, and this storm was only the first of those consequences.

After the storm, the people finally confessed their sins and repented (v. 18-19). Samuel comforted them, letting them know that even though they had sinned, God loved them. They were still his people.

And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart. And do not turn aside after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, for they are empty. For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. (1 Samuel 12:20-22)

No matter what they had done, God loved them and would not forsake them. There was a warning though. In his very last words to an all-Israel assembly, Samuel said something that proved to come true ultimately:

But if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away, both you and your king.” (1 Samuel 12:25)

The people had a choice — serve God faithfully or reject him. When I read verse 20 (“Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil. Yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart.”), I’m reminded that I can’t let past sins ruin my life. The same is true for you. No matter what you’ve done, you can always turn to God and find his forgiveness. He loves you so much that he gave his Son for you. If you’re a believer, all of your sins, past, present, and future, were forgiven the moment you believed. Your sin will never end your relationship with God.

But it can certainly hinder your fellowship with him. 

The good news is that as imperfect as we are, God holds onto us and is with us always. When we drift away from him and toward sin, he’s still right there with us. And when we turn back to him, he’s there to put his arms around us in overwhelming love. Your past can’t be undone. You can’t go back and change what you’ve done. As of this moment, though, your future is perfect. So live for your future. Live each day knowing and experiencing your Father’s incomprehensible love for you. That’s how you finish well.

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