I have hated those who regard useless idols; but I trust in the Lord. I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy, for You have considered my trouble; You have known my soul in adversities, and have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy. You have set my feet in a wide place. (Psalm 31:6-8)
The Bible tells us that, after the death of Samuel, King Saul was confronted by the Philistines and became afraid to the point that “his heart trembled greatly.” He sought counsel of the LORD but did not receive an answer “either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets” (1 Samuel 28:6). You should recall, this was after God had removed His Spirit from Saul due to his arrogance and disobedience. Not hearing from the LORD obviously caused him to panic, and in that state, he made one of his last tragic errors. At that point he told his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her” (1 Samuel 28:7). We all know how this turned out — not good.
Now let’s compare Saul’s actions with that of David. When Saul was distressed, he turned to something he knew to be wicked, but did it anyway. On the other hand, David — the one pursued and persecuted by this same man — never turned to mediums or idols, despising the very notion. Through it all, he trusted in the LORD to deliver him from his troubles. He was confident that the LORD saw his heart, saw his troubles and would not turn him over to those who wanted him dead. In the end, David was delivered from his enemies; Saul was defeated by his.
In the final analysis, it is obvious that Saul’s heart was inclined to be prideful; David’s heart was inclined to humble. That Saul refused to repent when confronted with his sin, and that David was quick to repent when confronted with his, defines the difference in the two men. In the midst of adversity, Saul abandoned everything he knew to be true just to get instant relief — or so he thought. David stayed the course — and so should we. Even if we feel that God isn’t answering us at the moment is no reason to trade what we know to be true for something we don’t know — or worse, for something we know to be false.
In times of uncertainty, we must continue holding to what we know is truth and be confident that, in the end, trust and faith will not be disappointed. He knows our hearts, and He knows our troubles. If we are faithful, he will deliver us from our adversaries and set our feet on solid footing that leads us to the fulfillment of our purpose.
Blessings and Shalom,
Bill
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