Today’s Reading, 1 Samuel 28-31
Focal Scripture: 1 Samuel 28:15 ““Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Samuel asked Saul. “I’m in serious trouble,” replied Saul. “The Philistines are fighting against me and God has turned away from me. He doesn’t answer me anymore, either through the prophets or in dreams. So I’ve called on you to tell me what I should do.””
Making bad decisions is a part of life. I have made many and you have made many. The problem with bad decisions is that some people do not learn from them. They continually make bad decisions and often they get worse as time goes on because there are no real consequences for them in their life.
In today’s reading we see Saul make a horrible decision. He compromises his own standard to get an answer to a question that has already been revealed. Saul goes to a witch and has her call up Samuel the prophet who has died because God would not answer him when he prayed and sought his face. Saul was in big trouble with the Philistines and personally. God would not answer him and Saul knew God turned his face from him completely. His answer was not to seek God but to seek a dead prophet.
Don’t move to far from this scene. I know it may seem strange but it teaches many lessons. The biggest is that when people get stressed they will become desperate and do things they once hated. Saul previously banned all sorcery but now he is in the thick of it because he thinks it will benefit him personally. His convictions were temporary not permanent.
The challenge for us as believers is to examine if we are people who will compromise our beliefs to get something that we want in our lives. Before you say no remember, that when we are desperate we will do almost anything to protect what we love and whom we love. We can never think we have it all together.
If Saul would have had a humble heart he would have known the lesson God was teaching. The same applies for us in our lives. Far too often arrogance and pride will lead to compromise and destruction. The only way to keep it at bay is to submit to Christ completely. It can never be about us or it may completely become about us on a daily basis. That type of attitude will lead to bad decisions and compromise.
So what about you? Would you compromise your beliefs when things got desperate? That answer reveals much about our hearts and our faith.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading 2 Samuel 1-3
