94 - "Keep Your Appointment With God" 1Samuel 13-16

                                                                                                                                                             Samuel 13:12-14  Saul answered, "When I saw I was losing my army from under me, and that you hadn't come when you said you would, and that the Philistines were poised to attack...I hadn't yet come before God asking for help.  So I took things into my own hands, and sacrificed the burnt offering."   "That was a fool thing to do," Samuel said to Saul. "If you had kept the appointment that your God commanded...God is out looking for your replacement right now." How sad.  So what keeps us from missing that appointment with God this day?  

I love Jonathan's faith!  Saul had 600 soldiers with him.  Jonathan asks his armor-bearer in I Samuel 14:6-7  to go with him to the Philistine camp. "Maybe God will work for us. There's no rule that says God can only deliver by using a big army. No one can stop God from saving when he sets his mind to it."   His armor bearer said, "Go ahead. Do what you think best. I'm with you all the way." 
  
They killed only 20 soldiers that day, BUT they actually grew Saul's army from 600 to 10,000.  That is simply amazing!  God did it for Jonathan and his faithful armor-bearer. So inviting. Not for Saul though---Saul kept conscripting every strong and brave man he saw, using people. 

Our 66LL devo says it this way:  "When things go wrong in your life, or when you fear they might, you'll be tempted to sacrifice ethics for pragmatism."  The story of Saul.  "You'll hear your heart asking, what will work to make things better?  You'll not as clearly hear yourself asking, what is holy in this situation that will please the Lord?"

PHOTO:  It's a dark day outside.  It's a dark day inside my heart, too.  And I ponder on this beautiful Word of God about David's darkest of days hiding in caves, fighting wars with 600 soldiers.  But, alas, I believe David's days may turn dark again.  Enlighten our darkness, O God!  2 Samuel 22:29 - isn't that what David prayed many dark days ago.  You will, O God.  We know You will.