No Compromise

Friday, November 5th, 2010

Today's Passage:1 Samuel 28
Memory Verse:1 Sam. 28:18-19

Today, as I look into the Word, I see that the Lord wants us to be aware of the matters of the heart that keep us from completely selling out to Him.  Here we see Saul, one whom God agreed to make king in spite of His own will, willfully disobey by being inconsistent in carrying God's commands.  Because of his inability to stay obedient to God, he could no longer hear from Him.  And with Samuel dead, he found himself in much the same situation as we find ourselves.

In a desperate situation, do I compromise, or do I stand and seek God for the answer?  The convenient thing to do would be to find a quick-fix solution.  And of course, having fallen into this pattern many times before, this is what Saul did.  On one of his "good days", when he was determined to obey God's law, Saul had gotten rid of the mediums and spiritists in the land.  He forbade them to practice at all.  However, in his deluded state of mind, Saul went back to the very thing God told him to reject.

In order to accomplish this act of disobedience, I find it interesting that Saul has to disguise himself.  Which gets me thinking... What old ways that I've said I'll no longer resort to am I still turning to in a moment of desperation?  My desire today is is to call those things out: as the rain gets closer, we must allow no substitutes to take the place of God's counsel in our lives.  Every act of compromise is a crack in the door to our promise.  The enemy can come in anytime he wants, slowing down our rain cycle.  

If we want that restoring rain, which is only coming for those who choose to remain faithful in the face of temptation, the sacrifice to avoid shortcuts will be rewarded with God's favor.  Stay close to His heart, and the blessings of His hand are sure to follow.

Prayer: Father, I realize that the decision I make to obey compromise is very much a matter of the heart, just like Paul.  Quicken me to the things that please You.  No mAtter how inconvenient it may seem, I choose to trust You and leave the results at Your feet.  Teach me total devotion daily.  May I never choose my will over Yours.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.