February 22, 2020 CAC Living Water Devotional :- THE WEIGHT OF REBELLION
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LIVING WATER CAC DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE
Saturday, February 22, 2020
THE WEIGHT OF REBELLION
Read: 1 Samuel 15:22-26
But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”
Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them.
Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”
But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”
MEMORISE: Are you so foolish? After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh? (Galatians 3:3)
EXPOSITION
The children of Israel only concluded in their mind to have a new captain, different from Moses and Aaron, who would lead them away from the hard path of Canaan, and back to Egypt, when God’s fury arose to destroy them. Thank God for Moses’ intervention (Exo. 32:11,12). More often than not, we look at witches as those human beings with fangs in their mouth to sulk other people’s blood. This may be true, but more than that, are also those who disobey God’s order and want to go their own ways—rebels. Why. Each time we disobey God, we seek to alter His plan, therefore hurting Him, robing His people of the blessings prepared for them, short-changing ourselves, and inflicting other terrible consequences on ourselves. So, if God says “suffer not a witch to live”, those who rebel at His command are also billed to die. This is the import if the message, … rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry (1 Sam. 15:23a).
The spirit of witchcraft had possessed Saul and made him to usurp the office of a prophet, and spared Agag and his people. The rebellious ones want to go their own way, independent of their bosses or superiors. There is a strong connection between witchcraft and rebellion, for where love is missing, death is coming. The seven sons of the high priest, Sceva, in Ephesus, wanted to drive out demons, not knowing that the same spirit dwelt in them, hence the stiff opposition and attack they faced (Acts 19:14-16). This may also account for the failure of the so called deliverance ministers to exorcise demons. Can we rob Peter to pay Paul? No, if course.
The witches in the Galatian church were not the ones flying in the night, but those who had been brainwashed to relapse into falsehood, and were no longer strong spiritually. Hope you are not being brainwashed into rebelling against your Creator, boss, spouse, etc. If you are found wanting, please renounce your ‘witch craft’ today!
PRAYER POINTS
1. Oh Lord, deliver me from every act of rebellion against You and Your Word.
2. Lord, help children who are rebellious against their parents, school and church authorities to repent and be of good behaviour.
3. Father, by your mighty power, bring back backsliding members who went out of the church and out of the way, because of having been disciplined.
EXTRA READING FOR TODAY: Leviticus 20-22 & Luke 10