1 Samuel 28:7 - Stay away from mediums

Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.”

1 Samuel 28:7

Saul was a mess spiritually. He saw the army of the Philistines was afraid that he would be defeated by them. Samuel, the prophet that had been used by God to speak to Saul, had died. Saul didn’t know what to do. He inquired of the Lord in what to do, but the Lord did not answer him. God didn’t have Urim or one of the prophets give him a word either. Nor did God give Saul a dream to help him. Then Saul decided that he wanted to seek a woman that was a medium. This was in defiance to the will of God. Saul knew this but he went ahead and disguised himself and went to her. The woman didn’t want to help him as Saul had cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. The medium didn’t want Saul to lay a snare for her life or cause her to die. Saul swore to her, using the Lord’s name, saying “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing” (1 Samuel 28:10). Saul wanted her to call up Samuel from the dead. Samuel’s spirit ascended out of the earth. “When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, ‘Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!’” (1 Samuel 28:12). Saul told her not to be afraid. When Saul realized that it was Samuel, he bowed down and put his face to the ground. Samuel was not happy that Saul had disturbed him by bringing him up. Saul told Samuel that God had departed from him and does not answer him anymore, neither by dreams or by the prophets. This is why Saul contacted him from the dead. Then Samuel told Saul, “So why do you ask me, seeing the Lord has departed from you and has become your enemy? And the Lord has done for Himself as He spoke by me. For the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and given it to your neighbor, David. Because you did not obey the voice of the Lord nor execute His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore the Lord has done this thing to you this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with you into the hand of the Philistines. And tomorrow you and your sons will be with me. The Lord will also deliver the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines” (1 Samuel 28:15-19). Saul received a word, but not one that he liked. God warns us to stay away from mediums. We are to have nothing to do with them. If we want to have a word that guides us, we should go to His Word.

Father, we come to You today and we praise Your holy name. Lord, may we avoid evil and all those that practice it. May we not have anything to do with spiritists, mediums, wizards, palm readers, witches, etc. May we come to You for guidance and go to Your Word. Speak to us today and guide and direct our steps. Encourage us by Your Word. Your Word is life. It completes us. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.   

1 Samuel 26:21 - We must repent from our sins not just acknowledge that it's sin

“Then Saul said, ‘I have sinned. Return, my son David. For I will harm you no more, because my life was precious in your eyes this day. Indeed I have played the fool and erred exceedingly.”

1 Samuel 26:21

David spared Saul’s life a second time. The Lord had delivered Saul into David’s hands, but David would not stretch out his hand against God’s anointed. When Saul realized that David had spared his life he knew he had acted like a fool. He knew he had erred exceedingly. He knew he had sinned. Saul may have made the decision at that moment to not harm David, but it was a momentary feeling. His heart was still wrong and he still harbored ill-willed feelings for David. The thing is it is one thing to know that you have acted foolishly, erred exceedingly, and sinned and it is another thing to repent of the foolishness and the error and to get your heart right with God. Saul did the first, but not the latter. God calls us to do both.

Father, it is one thing to know that we have acted foolishly, erred exceedingly, and sinned and it is another thing to repent of the foolishness and the error and to get our heart right with You. Help us to do both when we err. For nothing is more important than being right with You. It matters in this life as well as for all eternity. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen

1 Samuel 25:35 - God takes vengeance - He rewards and blesses the peacemakers

“So David received from her hand what she had brought him and said to her, ‘Go up in peace to your house. See, I have heeded your voice and respected your person.”

1 Samuel 25:35

Abigail was used as a peacemaker in the life of David. Her quick action and words made a difference. David accepted Abigail’s peace offering and blessed her. He even had respect for her as a person. He entrusted Abigail’s scoundrel of a husband, Nabal, to the Lord instead of taking action against him himself. When Abigail went home she found Nabal hosting a huge banquet. He was drunk and high in spirits. She didn’t tell Nabal anything that she had done or what had happened until morning. When he was sober she told him the whole story. His heart “died within him, and he became like a stone” (1 Samuel 25:37). He died ten days later. David rejoiced that God had kept him from taking matters into his own hand and doing evil. He was happy that God Himself repaid the evil done to him. David sent messengers to propose marriage to Abigail. She humbled herself, bowed to the ground, and said “Here is your maidservant, a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord” (1 Samuel 25:41). She went with the messengers of David, and became his wife. We can learn three things from today’s story. 1). We should not sin by repaying evil for evil, 2). We should entrust God to take vengeance on our adversaries, and 3). God Himself will bless the lives of peacemakers and reward them richly.

Father, we thank You for being our Lord and Savior. We thank You that You see everything that happens to us. May we not sin by doing evil. We want to please You. May we not retaliate when wronged. May we not repay evil for evil. May we entrust ourselves and them to You. Vengeance is Yours. You will repay. May we be peacemakers, servants, children of God. May we be blessed richly for our obedience. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 Samuel 25:24 - Blessed are the peacemakers

“For indeed, as the Lord God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hurried and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal.”

1 Samuel 25:24

Nabal was a very rich man. He was “harsh and evil in his doings” (1 Samuel 25:3). His wife’s name was Abigail. She was beautiful and had a gift of good understanding. David sent some men to Carmel to greet Nabal. These men were bringing peaceful greetings, kind words, blessings. Nabal rejected them. He even went so far as to say “Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?” (1 Samuel 25:10-11). So David’s men went to David and told them what Nabal had said. David was ready to retaliate. Nabal’s wife, Abigail, was informed on what her husband did. She knew that David would not be pleased. She quickly went into action. She “took two hundred loaves of bread, two skins of wine, five sheep already dressed, five seahs of roasted  grain, one hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and loaded them on donkeys” (1 Samuel 25:18). She didn’t tell her husband what she was doing. She rode the donkey and met with David and his men. David was not happy. He felt he was slighted. He was going to kill every male of all who belonged to Nabal. Abigail saw David, and when she saw him she “dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground” (1 Samuel 25:23). She “fell at his feet and said: ‘On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. Please let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. Now therefore, my lord, as the Lord lives and as your soul lives, since the Lord has help you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal. And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the Lord will certainly make for my lord and enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord, and evil is not found in you throughout your days. Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the Lord your God: and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the Lord has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the Lord has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant’” (1 Samuel 25:24-31). David was touched by the sincerity and humbleness of Abigail. David blessed her. He acknowledged to her that God had sent her to meet him. He told her that her advice was blessed and that she herself was blessed. Because of her quick actions it kept him from turning to bloodshed and from avenging himself with his own hand. He knew her wise actions were not just from her but also from the Lord. Our sovereign Lord works in many ways. Using peacemakers is one of the ways that He works. He still uses them today. Matthew 5:9 says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Decide today to be like Abigail. Be a peacemaker. Keep your eyes fixed on God. Ask Him for wisdom that comes from above and also for good understanding. Use your hands and words for good. You will make a difference is the lives of those around you and God will also bless you for it. 

Father, Your Word says “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” May we be peacemakers in this day and age. May our eyes be fixed upon You. Give us wisdom that comes from above as well as good understanding. May we use our hands and words for good. We want to make a difference in the lives of those around us. We want to be called “sons of God.” In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 Samuel 25:21 - Don't quit! You will reap a harvest if you don't give up!

“Now David had said, ‘Surely in vain I have protected all that this fellow has in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that belongs to him. And he has repaid me evil for good.’”

1 Samuel 25:21

Once in a while we wonder whether it benefits us at all to do good things all the time. In David’s case, he felt that he was repaid evil for the good that he had done. This discouraged him. God’s Word can encourage us today. Galatians 6:9 tells us “Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” The Message Bible says “So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit.” Galatians 6:10 goes on to instruct us “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” The Message Bible words it “Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.” What mighty and powerful words to apply to our everyday life.

Father, thank You for the encouragement You have given us today. Thank You for reminding us that we should continually be going about doing good. Sometimes we can wonder if the good we do is having any impact on the lives of those around us or not. Thank You for Your promise that we will reap and harvest a good crop if we do not lose heart. May we not grow weary, get fatigued, give up, or quit. May we make the most of every opportunity to do good to all, especially those that are of the household of faith and the people closest to us in the community of faith. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 Samuel 25:1 We should make our lives count

“Then Samuel died; and the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him.”

1 Samuel 25:1

Saul may have been the Israelites king, but the Israelites looked to Samuel as their spiritual leader. This is one reason why the Israelites gathered together and lamented for him. With Samuel no longer with them, Israel would be without a spiritual leader until David was made king. People today also look to spiritual leaders for wisdom, love, and a fresh word from the throne room of God. When a spiritual leader goes on to be with the Lord, they often leave spiritual footprints on the hearts of the people. Their funerals are filled to capacity and people often share personal testimonies of how the deceased blessed and impacted their lives. None of us know how long we are going to live on earth. We should make our lives count. God wants to raise us up to be spiritual leaders. He wants us to serve Him and others with His love. He wants us to spend time with Him each day so that our words are filled with wisdom, life. He wants us to share Christ and the revelations that He gives us with others. People in our day and age need to hear truths from God and His Words too. May we, His people, leave spiritual footprints on the hearts of those all around us.

    

Father, none of us knows how long we are going to live. We want our lives to mean something. We want them to make a difference in the lives of those around us. We want them to see Jesus and His love in us towards them. Samuel was a spiritual leader to the Israelites. May we be spiritual leaders in this day and age. We want to leave spiritual footprints on the hearts of the people You have given us to love. We want to bless and impact their lives for the gospel. Use us Lord.  We are Yours. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

1 Samuel 24:6 - Let God be our defender and deliverer

“And he said to his men, ‘The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.’”

1 Samuel 24:6

David was in the recesses of a cave in the Wilderness of En Gedi. Saul took 3,000 chosen men and went to seek David. Saul went to attend to his needs in a cave that was by the road. David was given a word that God was going to deliver his enemy into his hand. He was also instructed that he could do to him as it seemed good to him by this man. David saw Saul and cut off a corner of Saul’s robe. David told his men “The Lord forbid that I should do this thing to my master, the Lord’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the Lord.” David restrained his men and wouldn’t let them harm Saul. David left the cave and then called out to Saul. He told him “Look, this day your eyes have seen that the Lord delivered you today into my hand in the cave, and someone urged me to kill you. But my eye spared you, and I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is the Lord’s anointed.’ Moreover, my father, see! Yes, see the corner of your robe in my hand! For in that I cut off the corner of your robe, and did not kill you, know and see that there is neither evil nor rebellion in my hand, and I have not sinned against you. Yet you hunt my life to take it. Let the Lord judge between you and me, and let the Lord avenge me on you. But my hand shall not be against you.” David knew that God’s hand of blessing had left Saul. He knew that he was going to be king of Israel some time in the future. Yet because God had at one time anointed Saul, David refused to lay a hand on him. David honored the Lord by sparing Saul’s life. He trusted the Lord to bring his kingship to pass. He wasn’t about to take matters into his own hand. David wasn’t going to usurp God’s place in this matter. If Saul needed to be removed as king to make a way for David, then God would have to do it. Even being urged to kill Saul, David was not going to strike the Lord’s anointed. We can learn so much from David. We can leave things in the Lord’s hand. We can trust the Lord to bring His will to pass in our lives and in the lives of others. We don’t have to interfere or play God. This means that we don’t have to run ahead of him and take matters into our own hand. We don’t have to usurp God’s place in the matter. We should give Him the respect that He deserves. He is Lord. We can trust Him.

Father, we come to You today and thank You for being our Lord. Forgive us for all the times we have taken matters into our own hands instead of waiting on You to bring Your will to pass. Help us to be patient and to wait for Your hand to move in our lives and the lives of others. May we not run ahead of You any longer and take matters into our own hand. May we not usurp Your place of honor. May we give You the respect that You deserve. You are Lord and we can trust You and your plans for our lives. When You do the work, when You take care of things, then it is done right. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

Kimberly Lenz, Care Ministry Coordinator

Solid Rock Community Church