13 JUL 23 Thursday: A Closer Walk Devotional
“Now the Spirit of the Lord had left Saul, and the Lord sent a tormenting spirit that filled him with depression and fear. Some of Saul’s servants said to him a tormenting spirit from God is troubling you.” 1 Samuel 16:14-15
Self-reflection and self-assessment are needed in the daily life of a Christian. There is so much that we face in life that we can become confused about why things are happening to us. The Old and New Testaments give us insight into the various roots of our problems and how to fix or at least understand our problems. The disciples ran across a man who was blind since birth and analyzed the situation like a doctor. Maybe the root of his blindness is attached to the sin of his parents.
Was God punishing the Son because of some sin of his mother or father? Jesus said, no. This case was to show the manifestation of God’s glory. What? God made that person blind for a purpose. Jesus would ultimately heal that person demonstrating his power to heal where there was no human cure. That should be challenging and encouraging to those with disabilities or limitations. You can glorify God with your life and have a purpose even in brokenness or suffering.
Sometimes people are damaged and broken due to other people’s sins. I think we see this a lot and it affects us in such a bad way. Every day on the news there are reports of drunk drivers, murder, theft, arson, etc. These evil things that people do bring trauma that damages people physically, emotionally, and even morally. This can shake the foundation of the faithful and further blind the lost. This is why God has consistently commanded us to love others and turn from evil.
As we see in our passage today, there are also times when God deals the blow of judgment on a person. The Holy Spirit in the Old Testament was given to certain people to empower them in their roles. Saul had him, but the Spirit was removed when God rejected Saul. God gave him a tormenting spirit that ate him up mentally and caused depression and fear. God chooses who he extends mercy to and who he does not. Saul lost the privilege of being a leader and with it, God punished him for it.
Do you reflect on the life you are living?
Reading Plan: Psalm 18:1-20; 1 Sam. 16:14-17:11; Acts 10:17-33; Luke. 24:36-53
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