Wednesday Thought -- October 5, 2011

Good Morning Friends,

“When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.  He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets.  Saul then said to his attendants, ‘Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her.’  ‘There is one in Endor,’ they said.  So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman.  ‘Consult a spirit for me,’ he said, ‘and bring up for me the one I name.’" (1 Samuel 28:5-8)

Sometimes God doesn’t answer when you want Him to.  He didn’t for Saul.  The Philistine army had come to do battle against the army of Israel.  When Saul came out to face them, he saw the size and power of the Philistine army and he was afraid.  The first place Saul turned in this fear was to the Lord.  He inquired of the Lord to find out how he should respond to the Philistine challenge.  Should he negotiate a peace, flee in fear, or stand and fight?  But God did not answer Saul’s inquiry.

The question then became, “What would Saul do next?”  Would he wait patiently for direction to come from the Lord?  Would he make his own decision without the Lord’s direction?  Would he seek direction from a source other than the Lord?

Saul chose the third course to follow.  Rather than wait for the Lord, putting his trust in Him, he sought direction from a medium.  Saul asked her to bring Samuel back from the dead so that Saul could ask him for direction.

I doubt that many of us have ever or would ever turn to a medium for direction or have anyone try to consult with the dead for us.  But when the Lord is silent, are there other places you turn for direction?

What Saul should have done was to find out why the Lord was silent and attempt to deal with whatever was revealed.  The Lord was silent because of Saul’s heart of sin and rebellion against him.  The silence might well have been lifted if Saul had repented.  But Saul was unwilling to consider that the problem might have been his.  He determined it was the Lord’s problem that kept Him silent and he turned to others for direction.

When God seems silent in your own life: 

(1)   Consider if there is anything in your life that might hinder the Lord from providing the direction you seek.

(2)   Wait patiently for the Lord to provide the direction you need.

(3)   Refuse to seek direction from any other source that would be displeasing to the Lord.

His, by Grace,

Steve