Because I am in deep trouble!

1 Samuel 28; 1 Samuel 29; Psalm 109; Matthew 11
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Scripture

1 Samuel 28

Saul Consults a Medium

1 About that time the Philistines mustered their armies for another war with Israel. King Achish told David, “You and your men will be expected to join me in battle.”
2 “Very well!” David agreed. “Now you will see for yourself what we can do.”
Then Achish told David, “I will make you my personal bodyguard for life.”
3 Meanwhile, Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him. He was buried in Ramah, his hometown. And Saul had banned from the land of Israel all mediums and those who consult the spirits of the dead.
4 The Philistines set up their camp at Shunem, and Saul gathered all the army of Israel and camped at Gilboa. 5 When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. 6 He asked the LORD what he should do, but the LORD refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets. 7 Saul then said to his advisers, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.”
His advisers replied, “There is a medium at Endor.”
8 So Saul disguised himself by wearing ordinary clothing instead of his royal robes. Then he went to the woman’s home at night, accompanied by two of his men.
“I have to talk to a man who has died,” he said. “Will you call up his spirit for me?”
9 “Are you trying to get me killed?” the woman demanded. “You know that Saul has outlawed all the mediums and all who consult the spirits of the dead. Why are you setting a trap for me?”
10 But Saul took an oath in the name of the LORD and promised, “As surely as the LORD lives, nothing bad will happen to you for doing this.”
11 Finally, the woman said, “Well, whose spirit do you want me to call up?”
“Call up Samuel,” Saul replied.
12 When the woman saw Samuel, she screamed, “You’ve deceived me! You are Saul!”
13 “Don’t be afraid!” the king told her. “What do you see?”
“I see a god coming up out of the earth,” she said.
14 “What does he look like?” Saul asked.
“He is an old man wrapped in a robe,” she replied. Saul realized it was Samuel, and he fell to the ground before him.
15 “Why have you disturbed me by calling me back?” Samuel asked Saul.
“Because I am in deep trouble,” Saul replied. “The Philistines are at war with me, and God has left me and won’t reply by prophets or dreams. So I have called for you to tell me what to do.”
16 But Samuel replied, “Why ask me, since the LORD has left you and has become your enemy? 17 The LORD has done just as he said he would. He has torn the kingdom from you and given it to your rival, David. 18 The LORD has done this to you today because you refused to carry out his fierce anger against the Amalekites. 19 What’s more, the LORD will hand you and the army of Israel over to the Philistines tomorrow, and you and your sons will be here with me. The LORD will bring down the entire army of Israel in defeat.”
20 Saul fell full length on the ground, paralyzed with fright because of Samuel’s words. He was also faint with hunger, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night.

Observation

What is your first response when you find yourself in deep trouble? What you and I do when trouble hits will really reveal our character. Do you run to God or do you run to something or someone else? I wish that I could say that every time I have been in a crisis that I ran to God first.

God allows trouble to come into our lives many times just so that we will be drawn closer to him. Adversity has a way of bringing us to our knees doesn’t it! Once when Kathy and I were first married Kathy had become very sick and I can remember crying out to God (literally) and pleading with Him to heal Kathy. The doctors were about out of ideas on how help her. In fact, the doctor told me that we are going to try removing her spleen and if that doesn’t help then we don’t know what we are going to do. And that is just what a young 21 year old needs to hear about his wife! But God responded and today even though she has been diagnosed with Lupus she has had very few problems with the disease. It was a wake up call for me. I wouldn’t want to repeat the experience, but it was definitely something that God used to show me that I could depend on Him.

Application

I will claim and apply Jeremiah 33:3 today “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Prayer

Heavenly Father, you are my help today. I will put my faith and my trust in you. Thank you for always taking care of me. Thank you for so many answers to prayer. You are Worthy to be Praised. Help me talk to you about everything that comes into my life today. I pray for Jean and Dean Hansen today that you bless them for opening up their home to us when we go to California in a few weeks. May you richly bless Wayne Varnes today for taking care of Mac Butler’s yard yesterday as Mac deals with a son very sick with cancer. Thank you Lord for being so faithful to my family, our church, and me.

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