May 13, 2020

“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.” – 1 Samuel 28:5-7

The end of Saul’s life is characterized by fear and rebellion against God. 1 Samuel 28 is a classic example of this. Saul was surrounded by the Philistine army and he was scared. He had disobeyed God and failed to seek God on so many occasions that God now remained silent. Saul was so afraid that he could not wait on God. He had to have an answer right away even if that answer came from being in direct disobedience to God. It is easy for us to look back on this story, shacking our heads and saying, “Oh foolish Saul! When will you ever learn?” But when was the last time you had an army encamped around you? Saul made these decisions out of fear. And in that moment of fear, things are not quite as clear as we would like them to be.

Even though you probably don’t have an army encamped around you, I’m sure there are things you fear. So how do we overcome it? 1 John 4:18 tells us that perfect love drives out fear. Every decision we make should be based on God’s perfect love for us in Christ Jesus. That means that our decision-making process always begins with our relationship with God through Christ. That must be the foundation. There is nothing in all the world that can separate us from God’s love. When we set our minds on this, then fear begins to melt away and we can have greater clarity. However, whenever you make your decision based on fear, you can be guaranteed that it is the wrong decision.

Loving and powerful Father, fill us with the incredible foundation of your sacrificial, unending love for us. Let that foundation drive out all fear and give us strength and clarity to navigate this dark world.

In Christ’s Service,

Pastor Shane Cannon