Swing Away!

“Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened…I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”
— Psalm 40:6-8

Have you ever seen a man hop around on one foot and howl like a maniac while grasping his butt cheeks? I have, and I laughed.

When I was a youth minister, we had returned home from a retreat and were unloading the trailer. I picked up a wooden boat oar and pretended to smack Brian (an adult counselor) in mock slow motion. In response, Brian laughed, stuck out his butt and said, “Go ahead. Give it your best shot.” To which, I did. I lit him up. I held nothing back. Don’t give me a shot, because I will swing away! In that moment I was only thinking about myself, not his pain.

A few days later, his wife informed me that he had a bruise from his belt line down to the middle of his thigh. I’ve never been afraid to take a shot. I do feel bad every time I chuckle at the memory. But he gave me permission. Right?!

We often forget that permission does not equate profitability. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6:12, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for me, but not all things edify.” I had permission, but I don’t think my actions benefited anyone.

In the Old Testament, the Israelites had permission to be governed by an earthly king. God warned them about the consequences, but they chose a king anyway. God told the prophet Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.” (1 Samuel 8:7)

Even then, God chose the best of men to be their king. He was everything you could want in a king and he was a man of faith. When it came time to anoint Saul king, Samuel looked everywhere for him in the crowd, but he wasn’t there. They searched for him, but couldn’t find him. The Lord spoke to Samuel and said, “There he is, hidden among the equipment.” (1 Samuel 10:22).

Saul knew he was going to be made king, but it terrified him. He felt unworthy and unqualified. And he was, until the “Spirit of God came upon Saul.” (1 Samuel 11:6) Then he swung away! He put everything into his work as king and defeated the Ammonites.

If you know the story, then you know the next four chapters did not go well for Saul. He got tired of waiting for the Lord’s prophet to show up and made an unlawful sacrifice before a battle. He built a monument to himself, and broke God’s command in the battle against Amalek. His justification was that the king and animals he kept alive would be a sacrifice to the Lord.

As a consequence, God rejected Saul as king of Israel. Samuel asked Saul, “When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel?” (1 Samuel 15:17) In other words, when you were hiding in the equipment hadn’t God already made you king? But now you think it is about you instead of God. So, God has removed you as king. Samuel concluded with, “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice.” (1 Samuel 15:22).

It is not possible to have obedience without being dependent on the Lord.

What is amazing about this story is God replaced Saul with a king “after His own heart”: David. He messed up every bit as much as Saul did. What was the difference? Simple, David never forgot he was just a man and God is God! Both men were the type that would swing away with all they had when given a chance. Saul forgot his place thinking periodic sacrifices would be enough. David, even through all his sins, never forgot who was Lord!

I’m astonished by the number of people paralyzed by their past. They feel disqualified to join God in His work. They hide in the equipment hoping not to be discovered. That is where Saul was at his best! It was the one moment when his kingship was all about God. Similarly, Paul relates the Lord’s response to his own weakness in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

We were put on this earth to swing away! Swing for the fence! Give it all we’ve got. Yet, while everything is permissible, not everything is profitable. It is not about our activity, because it is not about us. It is all about Christ. It is all about joining Him in His work, that only He can bring to completion.

It is easy to start thinking it is all about ourselves. That thinking only ends one of two ways; paralyzed by guilt or blinded by pride (which inevitably leads to the fall). It is not about giving God His due, as sacrifice is not His desire. It is about knowing Him, His law written on your heart, and being obedient to who He called you to be: a child that is completely dependent on Him in every moment.

Understanding we are completely dependent on Him empowers our lives. It enables us to come out of hiding, face our past, forgive, love and swing away! Go for it, trusting it is all about Him and not about us. We are going to mess up. We are going to get it wrong. Yet, if we always move forward understanding it is all dependent on Him and not us, we are able to say with David (the man after God’s own heart), “Sacrifice and offering You did not desire; My ears You have opened…I delight to do Your will, O my God, And Your law is within my heart.”

Swing away! Go for the fences! Light it up! Just understand everything is dependent on Jesus and He is able to speak, work and live through you in this moment. Will you let Him? Batter up!

© 2025 Warren Martin. All rights Reserved.