Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 28:15, Now Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” And Saul answered, “I am deeply distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and does not answer me anymore, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called you, that you may reveal to me what I should do.”
There have been many opinions about whether or not it was really Samuel who appeared to the witch and to Saul. Based on the reaction from the medium, it is more likely that it was really Samuel who appeared. When Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration, both Moses and Elijah appeared before the on looking disciples (Matthew 17). So it certainly is possible that God would bring one of His servants back to communicate God’s message; if He so chose to. Nonetheless, what I would like to focus on is Samuel’s question to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Lest we give this witch, or even Saul, more credit than they deserve in this, let us make one thing clear; the only reason Samuel reappeared was because God had a direct message for Saul, and an indirect message for the witch. The witch should have quickly realized that playing with the supernatural is no joke. It boggles my mind when I hear that a born again child of God is willing to go to a palm reader, tarot card reader, or a psychic. Going to someone like this is no different than what Saul did. Let us make no mistake about where God stands in respect to dealing with people who partake in these evil practices. Leviticus 20:6 clearly states, “And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.”
Saul was looking for answers to questions that he already had answers to. It was obvious that he would have no choice but to fight against the Philistines. What he was likely seeking was the outcome of this unavoidable war. God had departed from Saul, and he already knew this. It became even more evident when God became silent. He was probably hoping for a change in the consequences of his disobedience. Instead what he received was a message of his death sentence, which left him paralyzed with fear (v. 19-20). Why disturb Samuel to get answers to questions that were already answered? We must be extremely careful to avoid putting ourselves in positions where sin can bring forth consequences that are far too much for us to bear. God is gracious, merciful, and forgiving, but He will not always remove the consequences of our sinful actions. There is an even greater observation to be taken from Samuel’s question. Why would anyone want to return to this God-forsaken world, once we have gone to be with Jesus? Why would we want our life with Jesus, once we are before Him, interrupted to come back to this place? This brings a question to mind that we all need to answer. “Do we love this life more than the life that lies ahead, where we will be reunited with our Savior?” Some of us may vehemently insist that we love the Lord and the life to come, but our focus, actions, and the things we deem as important in this lifetime says something completely different. Sadly, far too many of us live this life looking to gain all that this corrupt world has to offer. We shipwreck our walk with Jesus in pursuit of material gain, status in society, and the accolades of men. There are many who are perishing, and will perish, because they have rejected Jesus’ offer of eternal life. Some insist on trying to earn passage into Heaven, even though God has made it clear that salvation comes by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), and only through Jesus, His only begotten Son (John 3:16; 14:6). The fact of the matter is that what we have here on earth now, even if God is allowing us to enjoy the riches of this world, does not compare to what Jesus has in store for us when we are finally with Him. With that said, we must live life here with a view of how it will affect our glorious life there, when we will serve Him and worship Him for all eternity. What are we doing here and now that has any eternal value? Are we serving selflessly, giving to others, loving one another, and doing all we do out of our faith and gratitude for the salvation God has given us so freely in Christ Jesus? I can guarantee this…once we are with Jesus, there will be no reason why we would want our time with Him interrupted to come back to this earth. We need to take inventory of our lives now and ask God to show us if we are living a life that truly reflects our love for Him, and hope we have of being with Him, by the words we speak, our actions, and the deeds we claim to do in His Name.
Saul was looking for answers to questions that he already had answers to. It was obvious that he would have no choice but to fight against the Philistines. What he was likely seeking was the outcome of this unavoidable war. God had departed from Saul, and he already knew this. It became even more evident when God became silent. He was probably hoping for a change in the consequences of his disobedience. Instead what he received was a message of his death sentence, which left him paralyzed with fear (v. 19-20). Why disturb Samuel to get answers to questions that were already answered? We must be extremely careful to avoid putting ourselves in positions where sin can bring forth consequences that are far too much for us to bear. God is gracious, merciful, and forgiving, but He will not always remove the consequences of our sinful actions. There is an even greater observation to be taken from Samuel’s question. Why would anyone want to return to this God-forsaken world, once we have gone to be with Jesus? Why would we want our life with Jesus, once we are before Him, interrupted to come back to this place? This brings a question to mind that we all need to answer. “Do we love this life more than the life that lies ahead, where we will be reunited with our Savior?” Some of us may vehemently insist that we love the Lord and the life to come, but our focus, actions, and the things we deem as important in this lifetime says something completely different. Sadly, far too many of us live this life looking to gain all that this corrupt world has to offer. We shipwreck our walk with Jesus in pursuit of material gain, status in society, and the accolades of men. There are many who are perishing, and will perish, because they have rejected Jesus’ offer of eternal life. Some insist on trying to earn passage into Heaven, even though God has made it clear that salvation comes by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-9), and only through Jesus, His only begotten Son (John 3:16; 14:6). The fact of the matter is that what we have here on earth now, even if God is allowing us to enjoy the riches of this world, does not compare to what Jesus has in store for us when we are finally with Him. With that said, we must live life here with a view of how it will affect our glorious life there, when we will serve Him and worship Him for all eternity. What are we doing here and now that has any eternal value? Are we serving selflessly, giving to others, loving one another, and doing all we do out of our faith and gratitude for the salvation God has given us so freely in Christ Jesus? I can guarantee this…once we are with Jesus, there will be no reason why we would want our time with Him interrupted to come back to this earth. We need to take inventory of our lives now and ask God to show us if we are living a life that truly reflects our love for Him, and hope we have of being with Him, by the words we speak, our actions, and the deeds we claim to do in His Name.
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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