The Witch of Endor - It's October....

1 Samuel 28:3-7 Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in his own town of Ramah. Saul had expelled the mediums and spiritists from the land. The Philistines assembled and came and set up camp at Shunem, while Saul gathered all the Israelites and set up camp at Gilboa. When Saul saw the Philistine army, he was afraid; terror filled his heart. He inquired of the LORD, but the LORD did not answer him by dreams or Urim or prophets. Saul then said to his attendants, "Find me a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her." "There is one in Endor," they said.

A little history for this - Samuel was a man of God, respected and sought after. Because the act of seeking out the dead was something God said not to do, all spiritists and mediums were sent out of the land. Now - Samuel has died and Saul is left with an army, the Philistine army, gearing up to attack.

Saul was in a predicament, so he called out to God. This makes me think of those movies where the main character comes into a situation that seems hopeless and he starts making deals with God. "If you get me out of this, I'll go to church every week" or "If you bring my son back, I'll start tithing" - when he hasn't uttered a word to God the entire movie. Now in the movies, they usually have the good ending where everything works out just fine - but for Saul, there was no light that suddenly got brighter, no voice speaking to him from out of nowhere, no dreams from the past or future - Saul got nothing. God remained silent.

This is where Saul made his mistake. If you are crying out to God and don't feel like you're getting a response - be assured, it's not because He's not there or doesn't hear you. This is the time where you need to look at your life and find out what is hindering the relationship between you and God. If you truly can't figure out what it is, ask God to show you what you need to work on. This is not what Saul did. Saul didn't have the time or patience to respect and appreciate a relationship with God - so he tries the other angle - the witch of Endor.

Our communication with God is vital to a strong walk in the Christian faith. When we are not getting the answers we want from God, are we seeking Him out, or are we searching for other solutions? It may not be as ghastly as reading horoscopes or playing with a ouija board. It can be as simple as taking the advice of a non-believing co-worker instead of waiting on God. It can be turning to food for comfort instead of waiting for comfort from God. It can be allowing our own wants to override what God wants for us. This is a good scripture on the importance of having a continual striving for a relationship with God.