Is it Time to Go?

Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons.”
-1 Samuel 16:1

It's early August, and every year this time initiates a new season for me. As an educator, August is a month of firsts. When I was a classroom teacher it meant new students, new colleagues, and sometimes a new classroom. August is bittersweet, however,  because it signals the end of summer break (which I thoroughly enjoy), but it also signals the beginning of a new school year. It is amazing how one thing can begin and another can end simultaneously. Consider 1 Samuel 16:1. God tells Samuel to stop mourning for Saul and go anoint one of Jesse's sons who we will later find out is David. In one verse, Saul's season ends and David's begins. This wasn't easy for Samuel. He had anointed Saul as king. No doubt Saul's disobedience hurt him deeply. However, God said it was time to move on. He told him to fill his horn and go. That sounds so simple, but sometimes it is really challenging. Leave what you have now. Leave what is familiar. Leave what is comfortable. Go! As hard as it sometimes is, if we look in scripture we see that God gave this advice to so many of our biblical heroes: He told Abram to go -- leave his family and go to the land He would show him; Moses had to go -- back to Egypt to free the children of Israel; Jesus had to go -- to the cross to redeem us back to God; and you will have to go as well. It may be from a long time job, maybe you have to leave a familiar place, maybe you have to simply go to your next level. There will come a time when you will have to go. I assure you that wherever you have to go great things are going to happen. Fill your horn with oil, prepare to release it as God directs, and go! That is what I am going to do! As much as I love summer break it's time is ending. I must move forward. It is definitely hard to say goodbye to it because it has been a good friend. But I am filling my horn with oil and preparing to release it to waiting teachers, students, and all that I am come into contact with. Is God ending a season for  you? If so, GO!