FAITH CAPSULE: Knowing to quote the word of God or going to fellowship is not an evidence of God’s presence in a believer’s life.
1 Samuel 26
The absence of God in the life of a man is the presence of the devil. When King Saul lost the presence of God, the evil that was active in him moved him to attempt David’s life. Whenever a man lost the presence of God hearing from God becomes impossible. King Saul no longer hears from God but from men that were surrounding him. A shift from listening and getting direction from God to listening and getting direction from man leads to destruction. The Bible recorded number of times when King Saul was moved to go after David by those that was surrounding him. 1 Samuel 24:1-3, “Now it happened, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines that it was told him, saying, “Take note! David is in the Wilderness of En Gedi.” Then Saul took three thousand chosen men from all Israel, and went to seek David and his men on the Rocks of the Wild Goats. So he came to the sheepfolds by the road, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to attend to his needs. (David and his men were staying in the recesses of the cave.)”
King Saul, because of the absence of God in him, he was listening to the ones that were surrounding him. If you do not carry God’s presence, man will move you; challenges will move you and all that is not of God will move you. Saul’s response to those that were moving him against David did not stop but it continued. It is written in 1 Samuel 26:1-2, “Now the Ziphites came to Saul at Gibeah, saying, “Is David not hiding in the hill of Hachilah, opposite Jeshimon?” Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.” The world today is a dangerous place because God’s presence is missing in the life of man. Knowing to quote the word of God or going to fellowship is not an evidence of God’s presence in a believer’s life. Are you carrying His presence or you are being carried by the presence of the evil one? The time and the days we are living demands that we carry His presence constantly and consistently.
David was right in his assumption when he responded to King Saul, “…If the Lord has stirred you up against me, let Him accept an offering. But if it is the children of men, may they be cursed before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day…” (1 Samuel 26:19). Today, David’s curse is on every man or woman under heaven that are being used to drive you out from the ground where the Lord has planted you. Amen
Prayer for today: Ask God to have mercy on you that nothing shall cause His presence to depart you.