The Daily Word: Thursday, May 13th, 2021
1 Samuel 14:1-52
John 7:31-53
Psalm 109:1-31
Proverbs 15:5-7
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Commentary from Pastor Michael White:
Now Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” Then the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” – 1 Sam. 14:36
Saul was hungry for victory. The army of Israel had already sent the Philistines running. Now it was time to pursue the enemy and strike them down with a decisive final victory, once and for all. Saul was ready to go! But the priest – God’s representative – issued a timely reminder: “Let us draw near to God here.”
“Here” meant in the midst of the battle. “Here” meant in the midst of the din and noise! “Here” meant seeking God in chaos, instead of waiting for a quiet moment to regroup and listen for His voice. Before you take one more step, draw near to God. Seek His will! Ask Him what to do next. Demonstrate to Him that you trust Him, and that you will not move unless He tells you to go.
Saul avoided catastrophe. Had he rushed to pursue the enemy without first waiting to hear from God, Israel’s victory could have dissolved into defeat. But Saul had wise counselors reminding him to draw near to God – to make time to hear His voice! – even in the midst of the mayhem.
No matter where you are, draw near to God. I am issuing the same reminder to you today that Saul’s priest issued to him. You need God more than ever before! When you call to Him and ask what to do next, He will answer. And then you will have all the confidence you could ever need to step out in boldness and faith.
Prayer:
Father, thank You for speaking to me! Thank You for reminding me to stop and listen to Your voice: even in the midst of battle. There is no such thing as being too busy to stop and draw near to You. I need Your presence, and I pray that You would meet me like never before, in Jesus’ name!
© Michael D. White, 2021. All rights reserved.