(Read 1 Samuel 31)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” We have been so involved in what happened to David and his men on the way back from the preparation for the battle with the Israel (that they were not allowed to participate in) that many of you may have forgotten that the battle was still pending. Well, it took place and it was not pretty for Israel. The Philistines attacked Israel fiercely and the men of Israel fled before them. Many were slaughtered on the slopes of Mount Gilboa. This is when the Philistines closed in on Saul and his sons, and they killed his three sons—Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua. As the fighting was closing in on Saul, a Philistine archer spotted him and wounded the king severely. Saul realized he was at the point of death. He groaned to his armor bearer, “Take your sword and kill me before these pagan Philistines come to run me through and taunt and torture me.” But his armor bearer was afraid and would not do it. So Saul took his own sword and fell on it. When his armor bearer realized what Saul had done he fell on his own sword and died beside the king. So Saul, his three sons, his armor bearer, and his troops all died together that same day.
When the Israelites on the other side of the Jezreel Valley and beyond the Jordan saw that the Israelite army had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their towns and fled. With the Israelites gone, the Philistines moved in and occupied their towns. The next day, when the Philistines went out to strip the dead, they found the bodies of Saul and his three sons on Mount Gilboa. They cut off Saul’s head and stripped off his armor. They then proclaimed the good news of Saul’s death in their pagan temple and to the people throughout the land of Philistia. The Philistines celebrated the death of Saul. They placed his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreths and they fastened his headless body and the bodies of his sons to the wall of the city of Beth-shan. When the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul’s corpse, their mighty warriors traveled through the night to Beth-shan and took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall. They brought them to Jabesh, where they burned the bodies. The men then took the bones and buried them beneath the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days. Mighty Israel had fallen. Their king was dead, their men had fled and their towns were occupied by the Philistines. And to make a bad situation worse, their future king was living in Philistia at the time, in Ziklag, seeking the Lord what to do next. The Israelites were fasting and praying, we will see tomorrow that David fasted and praying and while the situation was certainly dire for the nation, Israel would rise again!
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. We live our lives out in seasons. In 1 Samuel 31 the nation of Israel was in a bad situation, but just like the difficult season came, it would also pass. Our life is a journey and it is lived out in seasons. You may know what your purpose is and where the Father wants you to ultimately end up in life, but that does not mean you will get there tomorrow. There is a path (for you to follow) and a pace (at which you should run) involved in completing your purpose and they both involve seasons. Some seasons are more pleasant than others.
2. Times of transition are not always easy. Israel was experiencing a time of transition between the reign of Saul and that of David. This in-between time was not easy for them and it is often not easy for us. When you are in between seasons and you know the Father is birthing something in you that is greater than what you are facing, the pressure will be on you to give up, but deep down inside you know you can’t. What lies before you is too great to forfeit because of the pressure you are facing in front of you.
3. Hold on, change is coming. Every season is not going to be easy and every season is not going to be hard, but one this is certain, if you keep living, the season will change. So no matter what you are facing this morning, know that change is coming. If you are enjoying a season of plenty and overflowing blessing, keep your heart right before the Lord so you can be prepared for difficulties when they arise, because they will arise. And if you are in the middle of a season of difficulty right now, just remember that you have the grace to not just endure it, but to overcome it. If you did not have the grace to take it, you would not be facing it. The mere fact that you are facing it is evidence that God trusts you with it. Keep pressing, change is coming!
Closing Confession: Father, I thank You for preparing a plan for me before the foundations of the world. I was born when I was and where I was on purpose. I am not a mistake and I am here for such a time as this. You know Your overall expected destination for my life and I am determined to arrive there. But I know I won’t arrive there today. Therefore, every year I make every effort to get incrementally closer to fulfilling Your Kingdom plans and purposes for me. I am determined to complete my assignment before I die. Along the way, I understand that I will live my life out in seasons. Some seasons will be harder than others, but no matter the season, You have given me grace for it. I have grace to enjoy the times of pleasure and I have grace to endure the times of pressure. I will maximize every season, so I can be prepared for the next. I don’t fight change, I welcome it. I know I can’t travel through the seasons of my life without changing. Change is not my enemy. I need to change to grow and develop in You and I am ready for change, in Your season, and in Your timing. As You shift me, I flow, and as You lead me, I go. I am Your child, committed to fulfilling Your purpose, knowing I will make an impact while I am in the earth, with the confidence that I am going to heaven, but also determined to enjoy the ride! I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
