1 Chronicles 10:13-14
So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD, which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit, to enquire of it; And enquired not of the LORD: therefore he slew him, and turned the kingdom unto David the son of Jesse.

Saul always had the option to turn back to God, but apparently he never took advantage of that and instead just continued trying to go his own way. He had sinned and disobeyed, but that didn’t have to be the end of his story. That didn’t have to be his defining moment. With God, there is always a chance for mercy, redemption, and restoration. But Saul was just too stubbornly unwilling to humble himself and repent. He let his initial disobedience take him completely away to where he never sought God when God was the only one who could really help him and give him what he needed.

May that be a lesson to us.  If we are unwilling to turn back to God, that will only take us further and further away from Him.  One sin doesn’t have to carry us away to a series of sins.  Disobedience doesn’t have to be our defining moment, because there is always mercy with God.  We don’t have to die on our sword, but we can go to God and see what He might be able to do in our lives.  Humbling ourselves before the Lord keeps us from trusting too much in ourselves to the point where we won’t let God help us.  Our redemption for whatever ways we have messed up can only be found in Him.

Saul’s life could have gone so much differently. He started out with much promise, a mighty man, the first king of Israel. But his choices took him down a different path than the one God had for him, and he ended up defeated, his sons killed in battle, and with someone else taking over the kingdom. Where will we let our choices lead us? They can either take us to God, back to God, or so far away from Him that we never fulfill the purposes that He has for us.