QT 12/26/2022 1 Sam 19:18-24, Preparing to change in this new year

1 Samuel 19:18–24 (ESV) —

18 Now David fled and escaped, and he came to Samuel at Ramah and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and lived at Naioth. 19 And it was told Saul, “Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah.” 20 Then Saul sent messengers to take David, and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as head over them, the Spirit of God came upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied. 21 When it was told Saul, he sent other messengers, and they also prophesied. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they also prophesied. 22 Then he himself went to Ramah and came to the great well that is in Secu. And he asked, “Where are Samuel and David?” And one said, “Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah.” 23 And he went there to Naioth in Ramah. And the Spirit of God came upon him also, and as he went he prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah. 24 And he too stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay naked all that day and all that night. Thus it is said, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”

 

NOTE: Apparently this area is near the place where Saul first prophesied after being anointed as King. Now, Saul is chasing a man who loves God and seeking to kill him. His only offense is that God has chosen this new person to be King after Saul. And Saul is fighting God as evidenced by the power of the Holy Spirit coming upon the troops and thwarting the capture. So Saul goes himself, and he, of all people, also prophesies again. This time, instead of showing his potential, it shows how far he has fallen. The saying became an epitaph of a failed life. Also, as Warren Wiersbe comments, religious experiences are not evidences for a changed life.

 

“These two events [of Saul prophesying] prove that a person can have a remarkable religious experience and yet have no change in character. … Special religious manifestations aren’t evidences that a person is even saved (Matt. 7:21–23).”

 

So, the questions comes back to us. Am I relying on past experiences for spiritual confidence? Did God really begin a change in my life many years ago? Is that change continuing today? Why or why not? Have I lost my first love? New years are always opportunities for new beginnings. Most resolutions don't last very long. But if a resolution is given to God and empowered by the Holy Spirit, it can be sustained through the whole year.

 

PONDER:

1. How is my life going to be different in this new year?
2. What am I trusting the Holy Spirit to do in my life this year?

 

PRAYER: Spirit, I need your help to live as I ought to live. I do want to be an example to others. I do want to do the right thing. Lead me and guide me these days.