Desperation

Our Bible study group just finished working through the book of 1st Samuel, the story of David’s rise to Israel’s throne. The tragic figure of the book is Saul, the man who stood head and shoulders above his fellow countrymen, who was chosen by God to be their first king. He is a flawed man, quick to set aside commitment to the Lord and to choose his own way. Time after time, he decided that his way was better than God’s way and he justified his actions by asking, “What else was I supposed to do?” By the end of the book, he is a pathetic figure. The time of war came. "When Saul saw the vast Philistine army, he became frantic with fear. He asked the Lord what he should do, but the Lord refused to answer him, either by dreams or by sacred lots or by the prophets." (1 Samuel 28:5-6, NLT)

In his desperation, once again Saul decides on expedience over principle. Despite the strong prohibitions of the Mosaic law, he seeks out a medium. "Saul then said to his advisers, “Find a woman who is a medium, so I can go and ask her what to do.” His advisers replied, “There is a medium at Endor.” (1 Samuel 28:7, NLT) In a chapter full of things that are hard to understand, we learn that medium brings Samuel’s spirit back from the dead. The king is told that this battle will be his last. Samuel’s ghost tells Saul that he will be dead the next day, that his sons will die in battle, and the army of Israel will suffer a terrible defeat! At that the desperate king, passes out cold, knocked out by fear!

Two chapters later, we catch up with David on the worst day of his life! He comes home from a military campaign to discover that the town of Ziklag, where he and his men were living in exile, had been attacked by raiders. All of their possessions, and worse; all of their wives and children, were gone! "When David and his men came to Ziklag, they found it destroyed by fire and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. So David and his men wept aloud until they had no strength left to weep. … David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters." (1 Samuel 30:3-4, 6, NIV) The last line of that passage reveals the difference between two desperate men: “But David found strength in the Lord his God!”

We will find ourselves in times of desperation; when God falls silent, when our best laid plans fall apart, when sorrow engulfs us.

What then, disciple?
To whom will we turn for solace? What will be our decision?
Will we resort to expedience, doing what seems right, feels good, or brings comfort in the moment? Or, will we wait patiently for the Lord, doing what’s right while we wait?

David wrote a song that we know as Psalm 34. Read these excerpts from it and may you find strength in the Lord for this day.

"I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.
This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.
… Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.

Fear the Lord, you his saints, for those who fear him lack nothing.
… Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;
the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.
The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles."   (Psalm 34, NIV)