Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 28; 1 Samuel 29; Psalm 109; Matthew 11
Scripture: 1 Samuel 28:5-7
5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. 6 He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. 7 Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her."
Observation: This is such a sad and tragic scene. Saul had turned away from the Lord and the Lord had turned away from Saul. And now, Israel was under attack. Saul was terrified because he knew that God was not with him. He sought for answers from the Lord but got nothing. There was no response: "the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets." So Saul turns to another source to know anything about the spiritual realm: a medium.
Application: This makes me wonder about people who are fearful in their lives and who are seeking some kind of answers about what is happening to them. Sometimes these people actually come to church looking for those answers. And I wonder if they might come up empty as Saul did. Sadly, I think that this might happen to them, particularly since so many of our church people are not conversant in the spiritual gifts such as word of knowledge or word of wisdom, and so forth. And when these seekers come up empty at church, getting nothing from "dreams or Urim of prophets" (or pastors, teachers, and Christians), they might turn to alternate sources, like the occult. I think that it is more important than we know for us to be hearing from God. People are searching for answers. Will they find those answers from Jesus, from his Body?
Prayer: Lord, make me a source for people to find the information and answers they are seeking. Help me to be empowered in the spiritual gifts that I may be the vital link that answers the burning questions that people are asking.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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