​Obedience is best, but when we fail, repent.

Scripture:
"In my distress I called to the Lord; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears." Psalms 18:6 NIV

Application:
King Saul and fugitive David are studies in contrasts. Both were in distress, but their actions were radically different.
Saul was in distress because of the message from Samuel, to whom he went via a medium, a prohibited consultation that represented a failure of faith. Saul fell to the ground, refused to eat, but this wasn't fasting or an act of repentance. It was depression.' Immediately Saul fell full length on the ground, filled with fear because of Samuel’s words. His strength was gone..." '1 Sam 28:20
David felt anxious to the point of desperation because of a battle loss and fear of revolt (1Sam. 30:6). His distress level was probably comparable to Saul's, if not more (he was a fugitive from Saul, after all). But what did David do? He said, "bring me the ephod" (a prayer centering item). Even Saul's suicide demonstrated pride, not repentance (1Sam. 31:4) David wrote a psalm showing us how God heard and rescued him. "In my distress I called to the Lord ; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice... ' Psalms 18:6
We can learn from this. Obey first, but if (and when) we fail, repent.

Prayer:
Father, we're part flesh, and we fail, even though we try. Guide us to repentance, help us mend our relationship with You. Thank You for always understanding and helping us. Amen.