Preparing for Unheard of Circumstances in Unheard of Times
[1] In those days the Philistines gathered their forces for war, to fight against Israel. And Achish said to David, “Understand that you and your men are to go out with me in the army.” [2] David said to Achish, “Very well, you shall know what your servant can do.” And Achish said to David, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”
[3] Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the necromancers out of the land. [4] The Philistines assembled and came and encamped at Shunem. And Saul gathered all Israel, and they encamped at Gilboa. [5] When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. [6] And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams, or by Urim, or by prophets. [7] Then Saul said to his servants, “Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “Behold, there is a medium at En-dor.”
1 Samuel 28:1–7 Read More
This might be the farthest Israel has fallen from her potential yet. The anointed king that is beloved and blessed by God is serving as the personal bodyguard to Achish of Gath, King of the Philistines. The king of Israel, who knows that he should no longer be the king, made a decree to ban all mediums and is now looking for one since God won’t speak to him through the priests.
If you were reading this for the first time, or if you were living it out as a friend of the late Samuel and feared God, you might be pretty worried.
[Spoiler Alert:] God is about to work it all out in the most amazing way. Even in the midst of wrong on top of wrong, God can speak and move and work to turn us back to Him. Over the next few days, God is going to show mercy to Saul by giving him a chance to repent. David will be shown mercy and will not only be saved from killing his own countrymen, but he’s going to finish the job that Saul was supposed to do. In the process, David will get the wake-up call he needs to quit partnering with the Philistines.
Sometimes dysfunction and mess in our lives can look pretty bleak. You can get so many years or even decades down the wrong path that you wonder “How in the world can I take any step to make things right again?!” That is God’s specialty. He doesn’t control us like robots, but there is some mysterious way that He yields to our prayers and can alter opportunities for us to follow Him closer than ever.
It is going to be very messy.
David is about to fight for something he’s never fought for in his entire life.
Saul is about to be put on notice that all that was told to him is going to come to pass.
All of their circumstances are about to radically change. The way they respond to it will be the exact way they have been responding to everything else. One has built up a habit of depending on the Lord, the other a habit of looking at himself. As both of them bear fruit from what happens over the next week, let’s consider what we are preparing ourselves for.
All of their circumstances are about to radically change. The way they respond to it will be the exact way they have been responding to everything else. One has built up a habit of depending on the Lord, the other a habit of looking at himself. As both of them bear fruit from what happens over the next week, let’s consider what we are preparing ourselves for.
All of life can change in a day, and God is there with us before, through, and after the change, cheering us on toward a deeper life in Him.
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