Psalm 8:1
My Shepherd found me praying about regime change, again. He took me into 1 Samuel, and I read chapters 26-30, the back story to the events leading to the regime change in Israel from Saul to David.
The verses that caught my attention this morning are 28:6 contrasted with 30:8:
1 Samuel 28:6 And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.
1 Samuel 30:8 And David inquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
Along the still waters, I reflected on the fact that Saul inquired of the LORD, and “the LORD answered him not.” David inquired of the LORD, and “the LORD … answered him.”
Earlier, Saul rejected the word of the LORD and refrained from using the “sword” to execute divinely appointed wrath upon the wicked king Agag (1 Samuel 15). God moved the prophet Samuel to declare to Saul: “Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king” (1 Samuel 15:23). God sent Samuel to anoint David to take his place (1 Samuel 16:1-13). Especially consider verses 13-14: “The Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward,” “But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul.”
It should be noted here that although the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, the Bible makes it clear this was about temporal honor and divine empowerment and not connected to the question whether Saul would be received into paradise or torment after his death (1 Samuel 28:19—“tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me”).
David feared the Spirit might depart from him after his sin (Psalm 51:11, “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me”). David’s repentance was genuine, and God put away his sin (2 Samuel 12:13).
The Spirit exhorted me, grieve not the Spirit, and quench Him not (Ephesians 4:30-31; 1 Thessalonians 5:19). To grieve is like the word repent used in 1 Samuel 15:29, 35, and Genesis 6:6 in that each conveys the idea of being made sorrowful, or distressed. The word that is translated quench is stronger; it means to extinguish, and parallels the idea expressed in the imagery of the Spirit departing from Saul.
We understand that the indwelling of the Spirit seals us to the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14) and will never leave us. However, it is manifestly true that one upon whom the Spirit was mightily might become a castaway, powerless, unapproved, worthless, rejected, even reprobate, without the anointing (1 Corinthians 9:27).
In the valley, kneeling in the shadow of His Cross, I heard the Spirit calling: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23). There it is again, I thought! It always comes to this core principle of discipleship. Saul would not “deny” himself; he grasped at the power greedily, like when he clung to the skirt of Samuel’s mantle so tightly it ripped. He sought Samuel’s mantle for his own honor and refused to yield to the will of God. I denied myself and did not grasp at “the mantle.” Instead, I took up my cross and followed Him.
At the table, He anointed my head with His oil, filled my cup with His grace, and said Follow Me. As we began toward the Harvest, goodness and mercy ran up behind us, and handed my cross to me, saying, Don’t forget this? I blushed! Thanked goodness, and mercy, and ran to catch up!
Don’t forget your cross!
Praying for revival! 🙏
Going live asap!
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