Misplaced Fear and Presumptuous Confidence

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:9-10, Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?” 10 And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, “As the LORD lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.”

This witch and this king are good examples of what to avoid. The witch appears to be apprehensive about this stranger (King Saul disguised) and his request, based on the fact that King Saul had cut off the mediums and spiritists. She is exhibiting a type of fear that many of us Christians exhibit. It is a fear that is misplaced. What I mean by this is that we often put more weight on man says he can or will do to us than what we know God is capable of doing to us. The witch is more concern about the physical pain she could experience if caught, with no real care about what she will some day have to answer to before God; so it is with sinners who do not know Jesus. Sadly, this also seems to happen to us as born again believers. We compromise our standards and morals, and we stay silent when we should be proclaiming the Gospel, because we fear man more than we fear God. In Matthew 10:27-28 Jesus said, “Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops. 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Jesus knew that His followers would experience moments of hesitation because of a fear of man. The Word of God clearly states in Proverbs 29:25, “The fear of man brings a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD shall be safe.” Hebrews 13:5-6 also makes is clear, “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ 6 So we may boldly say: ‘The Lord is my Helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’” As followers of Jesus, it is always good to obey established laws, as long as they do not lead us to violate God’s law; but when it comes down to it, we are to fear God and obey Him, rather than bow down to men. Saul, on the other hand, made this witch a promise that he could not really keep. He promised her that there would be no punishment upon her if she did this evil thing he was asking of her. Who was Saul that he could promise that there would be no consequences for doing that which was evil and in opposition to God’s law? Who are we when we make promises that are beyond our control to make? Saul was about to find out that the One who is in control of all things was about to reveal to him that this would be his last day on earth. The same God who would end his life on the battlefield against the Philistines is the same God that this witch would some day stand before to receive the punishment for her sins. We, as human beings, even as sinners saved by God’s grace, do not have the power to determine what another person’s consequences will be for their evil actions. The one thing we do know for certain is that any person, regardless of who they are, who refuses to accept Jesus as Savior is already condemned and will some day face God’s judgement. Jesus made this clear in John 3:16-18, which reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” We must not allow our misplaced fears to silence us when it comes to sharing the Gospel or speaking God’s truth in love. We must also not be presumptuous in thinking that we are more than we are as Christians. Romans 12:3 reminds us, “For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” Galatians 6:3 also warns, “For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” Let us keep our eyes on Christ, having a reverent fear of Him, and remind ourselves that He is the One that is in control of all things, not us.

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).

Devotional Audio Track: We Could Find Ourselves Here Too

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We Could Find Ourselves Here Too

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 27:7-8, Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.” 8 So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.”

How often have we, in our righteous indignation, rebuked someone for sinning, but did so with a lack of love and humility? We justified our anger toward someone who stumbled because of the nature of the sin. We behaved as if we would never do to someone what was done to us (or someone we know), and therefore felt justified in rebuking the sinner and beating him/her senseless with our Bible verses. It always amazes me that our memory fails us when it comes to remembering verses such as Galatians 6:1-3, which read, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. 3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself.” I say all this to say that none of us, no matter how well we are walking with Christ today, know how well we will be walking with Him tomorrow. Saul, at one time, did what was right before God in condemning witchcraft and cutting off mediums and witches from the land; yet, here he is seeking answers from the very person he once forbade from dwelling amongst God’s people. In his fervency, we can only imagine that Saul would have been highly insulted if someone would have told him, at the moment he was enforcing God’s law, that he himself would someday seek the help of a witch. How often do we rebuke others for their sinfulness as if we would never be caught “doing such a thing”? The truth of the matter is that none of us are exempt from experiencing moments of selfishness and rebellion. There may be times when we will not be at our best and may even choose to try and manipulate circumstances in order to get what we want, especially when we feel that God is not answering our prayers or giving us what we desire. In those moments, we may find ourselves doing the very things that we have rebuked others for doing. That is why God warns us to approach those who stumble with gentleness and humility, only after considering ourselves and our own vulnerabilities, lest we also be tempted. Our ultimate goal should be to restore that person, just like we would want someone to do for us. Saul is a perfect example of what can happen when we choose to distance ourselves from the Lord. The key to not finding ourselves in this place is partly dependent on how well we maintain our relationship with Jesus; reading God’s Word daily, praying, and getting to know Him intimately. We must recognize that we are just as vulnerable to stumbling as anyone else. The invisible battle that rages around us, every single day, is real. The devils want nothing more than to kill our Christian testimony, steal our worship from God, and destroy our relationship with Him and others, bringing dishonor to the Name of Jesus (John 10:10). Let us not be like the dog who returns to his own vomit (Proverbs 26:11). We must not forget that there will never be a legitimate reason for turning back to the world, or seeking the devils, for answers that are found in Christ Jesus and His Word.

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).

Devotional Audio Track: God Sees Beyond Our Words

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God Sees Beyond Our Words

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 28:6-7, And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. 7 Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.”

Saul’s story is a sad and tragic story; a man who could have been used greatly by the LORD had he been obedient, and humbled himself before God. Instead, Saul chose rebellion. He chose to do things his own way. He allowed his jealousy to drive him to chase after an innocent servant; a faithful servant whom God would have used to elevate Saul’s reign as king. Instead of enjoying the blessings of what God was offering him, Saul chose a life separated from God, which for any one of us would be a curse. Here, in the last desperate moments of his life, Saul, once again, shows his heart and true colors. Yet, before we criticize Saul, let us step back and consider our own heart. Saul’s heart is filled with terror as he now faces war against the Philistines. In a last ditch effort to find victory he attempts to inquire of the LORD. What he finds is actually much scarier than facing a large army of Philistines. He finds no answers from God. How often have we been in those times when we felt that God was not answering our prayers? How often did God’s deafening silence cause us to have the sinking feeling in the pit of our gut, and drove us to a feeling of desperation? Why did God not answer Saul? Besides the obvious, we also see Saul’s heart and intentions in the verse seven. Saul’s choice and actions, after not hearing from the LORD, revealed where his heart and intentions really were. His words may have been words of pleading to hear from God, but in his heart he had other plans, and those plans involved turning to the devils if God did not answer his pleas. Proverbs 21:2 clearly states, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” In Christ, we know that God will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). However, this does not mean that God will not go silent on us if we choose to be rebellious. God is not blind to who we really are and what is in our hearts when we come to Him. He knows the intentions and motivations of our hearts when we come to Him, pleading for an answer to our prayers. He will go silent if we ignore the conviction from the Holy Spirit when we sin. He will go silent when we continually ignore His voice and choose to continually disobey His Word in order to do things our way, for our own selfish reasons. Saul went to God with an alternate, and sinful, plan, should God choose to be silent with Him; but God already knew it long before Saul tried to get an answer from Him. So it still is with the Lord, when we come to Him with doubt in our hearts. In the Book of James, God reminds us that trials are profitable, and if we lack the wisdom we need to navigate those trials, we can freely ask for it. However, if we lack faith in asking, God will not answer. James 1:5-8 admonishes and warns, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” Jesus will never forsake us in our trials; but He does not want us to think that He is just some personal “lucky charm” that we can pull out of our pocket whenever we want to get out of a tough situation; then put Him back in our pocket until we need Him again. God wants to have a personal, intimate, relationship with us; one where we make Him the priority. He wants to hear from us continually, and He desires to speak with us, through His Word and the beckoning of the Spirit, in Christ. Let us, right now, forsake whatever it is that is in our hearts that is causing the divide in our relationship with the Lord; for only He can deliver us and see us through the most difficult times in life.

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).

Devotional Audio Track: Guarding the Borders of Our Hearts and Minds

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Guarding the Borders of Our Hearts and Minds

Verse of the Day: 1 Samuel 28:4-5, The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all Israel and set up camp at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.

The location where the Philistines gathered to fight against Israel was right in Israel’s own land. Matthew Henry wrote, “The Philistines pitched in Shunem, which was in the tribe of Issachar, a great way north from their country.” How did they manage to get that close? They managed to get so close because King Saul let down his guard. He was too busy pursuing David when he should have been looking after his people’s and Israel’s best interests. His greatest mistake was allowing his heart to grow cold toward God. His refusal to repent and guard his spiritual life had resulted in leaving Israel’s borders unprotected, but also left the borders of his heart and mind unguarded. This allowed the enemy easy passage into the land of Israel, and fear to cross the borders of his life. How often do we go into the world unprepared to protect our hearts and minds from the daily assaults launched against us spiritually? How often do we start our day without first taking time to pray and read God’s Word? I am afraid that the answer to those questions would bring us to shame if we were honest with ourselves, and with God. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we have enemies that are continually lurking in our lives, observing and trying to influence our thinking, our attitude, and our actions. We fail to give it a second thought because our enemies are not visible to the naked eye. However, if we took the time to look at life through spiritual eyes, we would clearly see the activity of our enemies. Ephesians 6:12 clearly states, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” 1 Peter 5:8 warns, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” Our enemies want us to dismiss their presence, and thereby dismiss the danger of their presence in our everyday activities and interactions. They want to paralyze us with fear so that we become useless for the cause of Christ. They do not want us to share with a lost and dying world who Christ is and what He has done for us. Therefore our only defense, our only chance of surviving these cunning, yet vicious attacks, is to first turn our attention to Christ. As born again believers, we have Christ, who is our Armor. Ephesians 6:13-18 commands, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—.” If we fail to put on our armor before we go out to face the world, we will be ill-prepared to face the day’s challenges. If we neglect prayer and the reading and studying of God’s Word, we do it to our hurt. 1 Peter 5:9 admonishes us to, “Resist him (the devil), steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.” How do we resist the devil? We resist him by doing what God commanded us to do in James 4:7-10, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” Without a battle plan we will lose, not only the battle, but the war as well. If we first begin by accepting Jesus as our Savior, we have won the war. We have won the war because the war is Christ’s to fight. However, we are involved in the daily battles. If we take the steps daily to pray, read and study God’s Word, ask God to examine our hearts, repent and confess our sins, and ask Him to cleanse us, only then will we be able to maintain secure borders around our hearts and minds (Romans 12:1-2).

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).