This morning I read about the tragic end of King Saul. Here’s the part of the story that struck me. Notice it cites four reasons Saul lost his life.
“So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the Lord; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” 1 Chronicles 10:13-14
Did you see the four reasons? Here they are:
- Unfaithfulness
- Disobedience
- Consulting a medium
- Prayerlessness.
His was a tragic life. But we can learn from this.
Let’s turn these four reasons around and apply them to our lives. After all, if they caused Saul to ruin his life, perhaps they can teach us how to make the most of our lives!
1. Be faithful.
Persistently do what God calls you to do.
2. Keep God’s Word.
Measure your daily success on whether you are doing what the Bible says you should do. For example, I was recently convicted by 2 Timothy 4:5 “Do the work of an evangelist.” I don’t have the gift of evangelism. I love talking to people about Jesus; I have a heart for the lost, but I don’t have the spiritual gift of evangelism. I’m going to guess that Timothy did not as well. But nonetheless, Paul told him to “do the work of an evangelist.” So I realized that this applies to me. I need to be, I must be sharing my faith with those who do not know Jesus. So I called a brother, we decided on a time, and went out and talked to some unbelievers about Jesus.
Keeping God’s Word is pleasing to the Lord.
3. Don’t dabble in spiritual darkness.
Saul consulted a medium because he needed help making a decision. He should have inquired of the Lord, or consulted a prophet of the Lord. There is no place in the Christian’s life for things like ouija boards, fortune telling, astrology and the like. These things do not glorify the Lord; they are not appropriate for the one who like to be seeking and pleasing the Lord. We want to be full on, totally committed to Jesus.
4. Inquire of the Lord.
King David did this consistently. When you are not sure what to do, inquire of God. Pray. Ask Him for guidance. Ask Him to speak to you. Live a life of constantly checking in with Him.
I believe if these four ingredients are found in our lives, we will live a life that pleases God.
How about you? Which one of the four are most applicable to you? Let me know in the comments section.