Daily Devotional for Friday 26th January
Forgiven
Today’s passage is quite puzzling. It’s the only account of a seance in the Bible. Saul disguises himself and heads to the medium at En-dor. Saul promises the woman she won’t be punished and asks her to bring up the spirit of the one he names: Samuel. She sees a ‘ghostly figure coming up out of the earth’, ‘an old man wearing a robe,’ and Saul, knowing it was Samuel, bows down and explains why he is there (vv.13-15). The message he receives brings him fear. He was already afraid of the Philistine army and now he was told that he, and his sons, would die and that the Philistines would take Israel and its army. He falls to the ground, full of fear and lacking in strength.
We don’t know why God allowed the spirit of Samuel to appear and prophetically speak over Saul when the use of mediums was so against God’s way of life for His people. But it shows that even in our disobedience, God can work. Saul had gone completely the wrong way and yet God still spoke to him. While God’s rejection of Saul can feel uncomfortable for us to read about, it can help bring us to a place of thankfulness for Jesus. We get things wrong all the time, we go our own way, we do things that aren’t what God wants for us. And yet, because of Jesus’ sacrifice, our sin has been nailed to the cross. We are forgiven. God doesn’t write us off. He doesn’t remove his favour and love from us. Nothing can separate us from His love.
Paul sums it up in Romans 8: ‘He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all - how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died - more than that, who was raised to life - is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us…I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (vv.31-39). Amen!
Time to reflect...
• Take some time to sit and reflect on Paul’s words in Romans 8:31-39. What stands out to you? Allow the words to stir up gratitude in your heart for what Jesus has done for you.
Pause to pray…
Saul disobeyed God completely by seeking out a medium. We too disobey God and seek out our own paths. Spend some time saying sorry to God. You might like to use the following prayer of confession:
Almighty God,
long-suffering and of great goodness:
I confess to you, I confess with my whole heart
my neglect and forgetfulness of your commandments,
my wrong doing, thinking, and speaking;
the hurts I have done to others, and the good I have left undone.
O God, forgive me, for I have sinned against you;
and raise me to newness of life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen.
