7-6-13.  1 Samuel 28:1-14. DON’T PANIC…TRUST IN THE LORD – my devotional

Key Verse: 28:2                                                                                              Kevin Jesmer

“David said, ‘Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.’ Achish replied, ‘Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.’”

Dear Lord Jesus, thank you for helping us to have freedom in this country. We have freedom to worship you, freedom to live out our faith, freedom to pursue happiness and security. Freedom of speech and religious expression. Freedom to live places and work places. There are so many freedoms that we enjoy because of the grace of God and because of sacrifices of others. That you Lord and thank you people. Lord, help me always to remember that freedom has come through a high price. May my life promote freedom and peace to the community around me. Please help me to accept one word of God through this passage. I thank you and I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: God Was Working All Things Out According To His Will. (1-2)

The situation was really heating up for David and his men. But through it all, God was at work. Look at verses 1-2, “’In those days the Philistines gathered their forces to fight against Israel. Achish said to David, “You must understand that you and your men will accompany me in the army.’ ² David said, ‘Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.’ Achish replied, “Very well, I will make you my bodyguard for life.”

David was in a real dilemma. He had taken refuge among the Philistines in fleeing from Saul and his armies. But now the Philistines were gathering their forces to attack the army of Israel. David and his men were asked to accompany the Philistine army. It looked like he would be forced to fight his own people. If he fought against the Philistines in this battle, then his true loyalties would be revealed. His people living in Philistine territory would be in real danger. Also, to fight his own people was something David could never do. If he fought for the Philistines then the armies of Israel would see this and David would loose his reputation among his own people, jeopardizing the establishment of his kingdom. No human solution could help him avoid the trouble he was now facing.  David was not lying when he said, “Then you will see for yourself what your servant can do.”  David was going to do something wonderful and amazing through the leading and the wisdom of God.

Another point is that David never lost his cool while under pressure. He was very confident in the Lord. He knew that something would happen that would deliver him. This inner confidence was born out of his faith in God almighty.

In the face of his dilemma, David quietly waited upon the Lord. God was working everything out according to his perfect plan. I remember Jesus found himself in situations like this. Think about the woman caught in the act of adultery. He could not let her go and he could not have her punished. His ministry among the Jews was in jeopardy. But Jesus wrote on the ground. He waited on his Father. He displayed the wisdom of God and a perfect solution came about. David needed to wait upon the Lord and see God’s perfect solution come out of this impossible situation.

The events over the last two years of my life and ministry have put me in a dilemma. I was suffering a lot inwardly with depression, and isolation and my whole mission life was being changed. What could I do? Get more mission centered and become more isolated from my family? Get less mission centered and despair about my loss of mission in my life. These were the only options that I felt were before me. What could I do?

On my own I could do nothing. But When I waited on the Lord and prayed and others prayed with me, then God brought about a wonderful solution. Julie and I decided to do the Art of Marriage Seminars. I learned how to stop pushing and irritating people with my own “human pushing power” and be able to let go and let God. I realize that this is very necessary in helping young missionary candidates to be missionaries to Northern Canada. I could also be set free in order to be an offsite coordinator for the sending of missionaries to NW Ontario. God has a plan. He has unfolded a plan. But it was born out of a situation where all I could do is wait on the Lord. I thank God for these dilemma situations and pray that I may always pray and wait upon the Lord for his good and perfect will to unfold.

There is a new dilemma that I am facing. How can career missionaries be sent to the Native people in NW Ontario Canada? If we push too fast then the whole venture will scuttled. If we wait and do nothing for too long then the whole mission will loose momentum and we may wait another 10 years. What do we do? We need to accept this situation from God. We need to pray and wait on the Lord for his perfect will to unfold in our life and ministry. And God will do it.

Part 2:  Saul Fell Apart Under Pressure (3-14)

Saul had no faith in the Lord. He did not know how to wait and pray and we can see the fruit of such a heart. He became desperate and tried hard to save himself. He literally fell apart.  Look at verses 3-14, “Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. ⁴ 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. ⁶ He inquired of the Lord, but the Lord did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. ⁷ 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. ⁸ 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.” ⁹ But the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?” ¹⁰ Saul swore to her by the Lord, “As surely as the Lord lives, you will not be punished for this.” ¹¹ Then the woman asked, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” “Bring up Samuel,” he said. ¹² When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out at the top of her voice and said to Saul, “Why have you deceived me? You are Saul!” ¹³ The king said to her, “Don’t be afraid. What do you see?” The woman said, “I see a ghostly figurecoming up out of the earth.” ¹⁴ “What does he look like?” he asked. “An old man wearing a robe is coming up,” she said. Then Saul knew it was Samuel, and he bowed down and prostrated himself with his face to the ground.”

Saul was spiritually adrift and lost in fear before the Philistine army. Samuel had died and he had no one to turn to. Rather than resting in quiet trust in God, in his terror and desperation, he sought the help of a medium. Saul’s heart was in a panic, “⁵ When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart.” He caused other people around him to panic too. I am sure that his army was quaking in fear. But the medium was also fearful. In verse 9, “…the woman said to him, “Surely you know what Saul has done. He has cut off the mediums and spiritists from the land. Why have you set a trap for my life to bring about my death?”  Leaders should breed confidence in the people around them. They should exude grace and truth and others should be able to turn to God through their inner strength born out of their faith. But this was not the case with Saul. He was causing others to panic around him.  I pray that my faith may help others to have a calm and assurance in their hearts. May they turn their hearts to the Lord.

The medium succeeded in bringing up the spirit of Samuel. Samuel came back to give Saul a prediction regarding his dismal fate. Turning to anything other than God leads to disaster. I can see here that without faith in God’s sovereignty then people panic and turn to many compromised ways to try to save themselves. They may turn to money; they may turn to card readers or palm readers. They may turn to the godless for counsel from the godless. They may trust in their own rational and feelings other than the Lord. But trusting in anything else other than the Lord, through faith and prayer, will cause people to panic as they desperately try to save themselves.

Jesus once said Mark 8:34-36, “³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵ For whoever wants to save their lifewill lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. ³⁶ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?”  People are losing their lives every day do to their lack of faith and trust in God. They are being thrown into a tailspin because dilemmas with always come our way. We will always find ourselves in situations where there seems to be no human solution. If we don’t have faith in God, we will loose life worrying each day and panicking. We must trust in the Lord.

God is always delivering me and my family at the last moment, especially in financial matters. We have learned to trust in Jesus and that he will see us through. I don’t have to compromise my faith in order to save myself and loose sleep over anxiety. Thank you Jesus for this gift.

Prayer: Lord, help me to trust in you and your wise guidance. Help me to never panic and only seek salvation or guidance from you.

One Word: Quiet and constant trust in the Lord