God’s Word is so Good

Midweek Study with Pastor Edith
August 23, 2023
1 Samuel 19:18-23, Psalm 73:21-26

You might want to get another cup of coffee or tea before beginning this meditation as it will be just a bit longer than usual. I hope this won’t put you off, because you just might find an assignment from God to bless you like never before. God’s word is so good.

Have you ever stumbled across a passage of scripture that spoke out to you something you never thought before? I did that this week. I was a bit distracted while reading my devotional and thought to myself; what in the world does this have to do with the “thought for the day”? I brushed it off and thought it must have been a typo. Come to find out when I went to look it up again, I was on the wrong chapter. Still, I couldn’t shake the message I was being given.

1 Samuel 19:18-23 is all about King Saul pursuing David to kill him and prevent him from becoming King. It seems the Prophet Samuel gathered his fellow prophets and went with David to a place of safety and began to encircle him and prophesy and pray with David.

From different studies and life events, I have discovered that some of the most powerful prophesy comes from reciting scripture from memory. Often, I think, we might view prophecy as fore-telling, or predicting future events, however, prophecy is also known as forth-telling, speaking God’s word.

What follows is the remainder of King Saul’s experience as he continues to pursue David in this particular passage. King Saul sends out a group of men to locate and kill David. They discovered, as they approached the group of prophets, the Holy Spirit “came upon [Saul’s] men and they also prophesied”. The same thing happens to the next group of men sent by Saul. A very frustrated and enraged King Saul finally goes himself. Pause, can’t you just hear him mumble; “if you want to get a job done right, just do it yourself”. Guess what happens to Saul. Yep, the very same thing that happened to Saul’s men. The powerful Holy Spirit “came even upon him and he walked along and prophesied”.

I looked into the Psalms, and landed on Psalm 73:21-26; “When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered, I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you. Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever

My “thought for the day” is; Everyone who is in the Lord can and will prophesy when we will “hide his word in our hearts”.

Amen!