(1 Samuel 28:6-7 KJV) 6 And when Saul enquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. 7 Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her. And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.
While Saul was never a spiritual giant, he did have a relationship with God and had walked in relationship with him. But, Saul had traded his communion with God for the pleasures of the flesh.
Saul had fallen from grace. A long way from grace…
One of the obvious indicators of Saul’s severed relationship with God was the loss of privileged communication. Sometimes God is speaking but because of our hardened heart our ears close to the voice of our shepherd. But that is not the case here. Saul was trying to communicate with God, but God was not answering. We are told that, “when Saul enquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.” Notice, it does NOT say that God was not listening. Neither does it say that God was absent. No! God was present and He was listening. He simply refused to answer. He was not saying yes, no, or maybe. He was silent. No secret messages embedded in Saul’s dreams. Nothing from the spiritual method of the day (Urim) to obtain answers from God. Not even the prophets had a word for Saul. It was a big, fat NOTHING!
History uncovers seasons when God chooses to refrain from speaking. For instance, God was silent for 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament. He didn’t leave, nor was He unaware of earthly happenings. He was simply silent. I would suggest that in times of divine silence, we should wait patiently until He chooses to speak. Often, when God is silent, we try to force the issue. We may think that God wants us to turn over every rock, to put the glass to the wall to eavesdrop on what He might be speaking to others. But, when He is silent, it is for a reason. To wait patiently requires trust!
Saul was accustomed to having his way. As King, he felt a sense of entitlement. But, he quickly discovered how Inferior he was in comparison to God. In a moment of frustration, Saul determined that “any ol’ voice” will do! “Then said Saul to his servants, seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and enquire of her.” And just that quickly, Saul went from waiting on the voice of the Lord to opening his mind to a voice of darkness. The witch of Endor, filled with the spirit of the devil, counseled Saul with wisdom contrary to God’s will.
I get weary with rules and regulations. The Old Testament is full of them. At the same time, we must realize that we are influenced by many voices trying to lead us away from God’s best for our lives. We often spend time listening to music that comes out of the spirit of ungodly performers. No matter how pleasing the beat, when a woman sings, “I kissed a girl, and I liked it…” an anti-God theme is being reinforced in the ears of the listeners. The lyrics are written so as to send a message contrary to godly wisdom. We also watch television programs whose writers season the script with concepts contrary to holy living. When we consistently view shows that portray sex acts in hospital storage closets, or “friends with benefits” we are supporting an unholy and damaging message being thrust upon society. “Any ol’ voice” will do is the mantra of the day!
Please don’t write me off as an old fogey who needs to step into the new age of grace. Grace is great! It is wonderful! It is amazing! But it comes with a price. That price? Obedience…
(Romans 6:12-14 ESV) 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Tune your ears to the voice of God’s Spirit. Communicate with Him through prayer… Read His precious and powerful Word… Sing aloud songs of worship… And when it seems He is being silent for a season, trust him. Wait for Him to speak again because “any ol’ voice” WON’T do!
PRAYER: Father, Your voice is what I desire. Help me wait patiently until You have made Your will clear. I desire to train my ears to hear the only voice that will build, encourage and edifying my spirit. Speak Father, for I am listening. Amen.
Thinking Out Loud 