Today I read 1 Samuel 28, in which the Philistines gather to fight Israel and Saul consults the woman at Endor. Today I considered that disobedience can cause you to lose your blessing and sometimes your life.
Despair at the Coming Loss
A king knows he will lose a kingdom and his life because he was not obedient, but was shown compassion by the woman who feared him (1 Samuel 28:1-25). The Philistines gathered together in Schunem to fight Israel. Achish expected David to fight on the Philistines side. Saul gathered Israel together in Gilboa to fight. Saul inquired of the Lord but God did not answer him or others with him, and Samuel was dead. Saul had gotten rid all the people with familiar spirits and wizards in the land. Saul had them find someone and they found a woman with a familiar spirit in Endor. Saul disguised himself and asked her to bring Samuel to him. She became afraid when knowing who Saul was but he promised not to harm her. Samuel told him because he did not obey God, God was taking the kingdom from him to give to David, Saul would lose the battle, and Saul and his sons would die. Saul fell down, had not eaten that day, and did not want to eat. The woman prepared food for him and his men. They were able to get Saul to eat. Saul had despair because he knew of his coming losses.
Questions and Thoughts for Today
Saul was disobedient. We previously saw Saul would make sacrifices to God. Saul was supposed to be doing God’s tasks like eliminating the enemy, but was chasing David and other things. The Lord had given Saul plenty of time, years, before no longer responding to him. God prefers obedience to sacrifice and can stop providing for you if you continue to be disobedient. Sin is a serious thing that many take lightly. Disobedience to God is a sin because it’s putting something else as a priority before God. God should come first.
What in your life can you change to be obedient to God and put God first?
I use to think my drinking was keeping me back from giving my life 100% to God. But as I write this answer the thought which is the honest truth, is me. I’ve been chasing different lifestyles for so long, I’ve truly never stayed living just one.
I believe this is why my confusion exist because as much as I want and need God in my life, especially in times like this.I reject him not purposely but out of fear, fear of change, fear of self preservation and the worst fear of them all is doubt.
Is God even going to care about someone like me, am I too far gone from past mistakes and present sin?
So my answer is self.
Trusting God with more and more of your life is something we have to sometimes do daily. But God cares about all of his children, just like you care about every one of your children and want them all to succeed and have a good life. Think about the purpose of Jesus, to save us. John 10:10 KJV “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” We may not realize it but sometimes we are giving into the thief instead of following Jesus. Jesus came for us to have a better life, filled with hope, grace, and God’s love.
We may not realize it but sometimes we are giving into the thief instead of following Jesus. Jesus came for us to have a better life, filled with hope, grace, and God’s love.
I couldn’t agree with you more on that. Some days I feel like I’m arguing with myself like there’s one thought whispered into one ear and a completely opposite in the other.