(Read 1 Samuel 19:18-23)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” In each of the past two days we have learned about an attempt king Saul made on David’s life and in each of the attempts one of Saul’s flesh-and-blood children stepped in to save David from their father. This morning we will see another attempt, but this time the Lord Himself will step in to save David.
After David’s wife helped him climb through a window in order to escape into the night, David fled to Ramah to see the prophet Samuel. After all, David’s life had never been the same since the day Samuel visited his home in Bethlehem. David told the prophet what was going on and all that Saul had done to him. Samuel decided to take David with him to live at Naioth. Saul got word that David was at Naioth in Ramah and he immediately sent his troops on a capture-or-kill mission. But when the Soldiers arrived in Ramah they encountered Samuel and a group of prophets he was mentoring. The prophets were all prophesying and all of a sudden the Spirit of God came upon Saul’s Soldiers and they too began to prophesy. Somehow Saul received word of what happened and he sent another group of troops, but when they arrived in Ramah the Spirit of God came upon them and they began to prophesy uncontrollably as well. Saul received word of what happened to the second group and sure enough, he sent a third group of Soldiers. Guess what happened? The same thing! The king had sent three groups of elite Soldiers to capture David and the King of Kings intervened every time. The Lord had hardened combat-tested Soldiers prophesying like they were prophets.
Saul was fed up with the situation and he decided to take a trip to Ramah himself. The king arrived in Ramah and stopped at the great well in Secu. “Where are Samuel and David?” he demanded. By now king Saul was not just after David, but he was upset with the prophet Samuel as well. “They are at Naioth in Ramah,” someone told him. So Saul took off to find them, but on the way the Spirit of God came upon Saul and he too began to prophesy all the way to Naioth! Saul could not stop what was happening. The king was so upset that when he finally got to the presence of Samuel, Saul tore off his clothes and laid naked on the ground all day and all night, prophesying in the presence of the prophet. A few people saw what was going on and exclaimed, “What? Is even Saul a prophet?” We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Favor is great. I love it when God raises up people to use their power, their ability, and their influence to help me. Favor is awesome, but don’t think that God cannot help you without the assistance of others. If He can’t find someone to step in on your behalf, He will do it Himself.
2. Direct divine intervention is better than favor. The anointing is God operating through man, and that is awesome, but remember, our God is sovereign. The Lord can bless you through others, but He can also do it directly, as a sovereign act of His power. So yes, the Lord will look to help you through others, but in situations where he can’t find someone to cooperate or where others are not around, the Lord will step in Himself and manifest His divine power in your life to shield, protect, bless, and empower you supernaturally!
3. When people come against your divine purpose they are coming against God Himself. When you are pursuing God’s purpose for your life and you know you are not seeking to perform your will, but rather His, and someone chooses to attempt to stop you, then that person is coming against God. That is a dangerous place to be for the other person. At that point you don’t have to attempt to fight for yourself, God will do the fighting and He can protect you in ways you never could. So just keep pressing, keep going, keep pursuing yourself divine purpose, and the Lord Himself will see to it that you are protected along the way.
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for this teaching. I truly appreciate Your favor on my life. I am extremely thankful for all the times You have moved upon others to use their power, their ability, and their influence to help me in ways I could not help myself. I love it when You work through others to help me. But Father, I know You are not limited to working through others. On those occasions when You cannot find someone to cooperate with Your Kingdom plans and purposes for my life, or on those occasions where You just want to show Yourself strong, You are able to manifest supernatural power in the earth without the assistance of a man; as a sovereign act. I thank You Father for all the sovereign acts You have already performed in my life and I thank You in advance for all those You have yet to perform. When I am pursuing Your divine purpose and people come up against me, they don’t know it, but they are actually coming up against You. On those occasions I don’t even have to fight. I know You will fight for me. Vengeance and recompense are Yours. I just keep my eyes on You and I pray for my enemies, because they have no idea how much trouble they are getting themselves into when they attempt to stop me from achieving Your purpose. They can’t stop me, because they can’t stop You! So I look unto You as the author and finisher of my faith and I run my race with the grace You have freely give me, knowing that I have divine protection along the way! In Jesus’ name. Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
