Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 19:23-24, So he went there to Naioth in Ramah. Then the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he also stripped off his clothes and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”
It still amazes me today that for as long as I have known the Lord, I still waste so much time resisting God’s direction in my life. You would think that after so many years of following the Lord, reading and studying His Word, and praying, that we would get the hints that the Lord puts before us to get our attention. Instead, we continue to follow our own path and our own desires until He finally has to do something drastic to humble us and get our eyes back on Him. Saul was hard-hearted and stiff-necked. In this chapter we see that he will not relent in trying to chase down David in his attempts to kill him. In verses 20-22, Saul sends messengers to follow after David after he departed to be with Samuel. He did this three times, and the result each time was that the messengers prophesied, or praised and worshipped God instead of carrying out Saul’s demands. These three instances were instances of God sending His own message to Saul, “David is mine and you will not touch him. He is under my protection.” Yet, Saul persisted. How often have we set out to accomplish something, in our own strength, and driven by our own desires, only to be frustrated by failed attempts? How have we responded? Quite often the response has been to try a different way, only to fail again. Do we ever just stop and ask, “Lord, what is it that you want me to do? Should I really be pursuing this or should I change direction? Is this something you want for me, or is this just my own selfish want?” When all else failed, Saul decided that he would go and do it himself. Such a display of arrogance to think that he would be able to accomplish what God stopped in his three previous attempts. Yet, how often have we been driven by our own pride in trying to accomplish something that was obviously not part of God’s plan for our lives? The Word of God is very clear in 1 Peter 5:5 and James 4:6 that “God resists the proud”. When Saul finally arrives in Naioth in Ramah, he too is overcome by the Spirit and begins to praise and worship God. It is as if God is telling him, “Saul, this is what I can do in your life, by my Spirit, if you will submit to me.” Yet, Saul’s prophesying is a momentary, superficial act, which is in no way a true reflection of what is in his heart. Sadly, there are far too many people who put up a front that convinces others that they have a heart for God, when in fact they are only out for themselves and what they want. Amazingly, God stripped Saul of what made him important, in his own mind, and humbled him by stripping him naked. Oftentimes, God has to strip away those things that give us self-worth, in our own thinking, in order to humble us before Him. We, as true followers of Jesus, must be genuine in our praise of, worship of, and life for, God. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must seek God’s will and plan for our lives, over our own plans and desires. In Luke 9:23-25 Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. 24 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. 25 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?” I must ask that we consider this question, “Are we arrogantly following our own path and desires, or are we really humbly listening to the Lord’s leading and guidance by way of the Spirit?”
Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 6:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive Him and His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).
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