FAITH CAPSULE: Disobedience to the Word of God is an avenue to departure from the presence of God.

1 Samuel 28

God gave His command to Saul, ““Go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’” (1 Samuel 15: 3) Saul disobeyed God by executing God’s command at his own convenience. Disobedience to the Word of God is an avenue to departure from the presence of God. Saul failed to obey God and he removed himself from the presence of God. If you will do exactly according to His command He will not hesitate to bless you. After the death of Samuel whom the Lord had been using for Saul, there was a need for Saul to hear from God in regard to a confronting war against the Philistines. Saul inquired of the Lord, but there was no answer because his disobedience took away his privilege of accessing God. The war ahead of King Saul made his heart tremble while he could not hear from God. The Bible recorded in 1 Samuel 28:6, “And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets.” As a result of King Saul’s inability to hear from God, he then turned to another medium through which he could inquire of the Lord about the war. Saul had lost it where he could have been keeping it with God that called him to be the first king over His children. The fact that it was God who called Saul to be the king and not Saul that called himself was not an excuse to escape his act of disobedience to God’s command. Whenever a believer receives a call of from God, there is also a need for grace to keep believer to remain focus on carrying out the command of God just as required by God. Samuel, having been dead was called back from sleep through the medium that did not represent God. Saul was desperate to hear from God through Samuel but it added nothing unto Saul. Going to the medium rather took away from Saul. Samuel awoke from sleep through a medium that was not in line with God and pronounced defeat and the end of Saul when he goes to the war. Disobedience of Saul created distance between him and God that ordained him as king. Disobedience caused distance from God. It also led to Saul’s departure from the presence of God and brought upon him eventual destruction. God is a perfect manager that knows the end from the beginning. Never try to add or take away from His command.  

Prayer for today: Ask God to have mercy on you if there is any way that you are distancing yourself from His presence.