Podcast Introduction We’ll complete the book of 1 Samuel today with the reading of chapters 26-31.  I’m calling the episode “Another Missed Opportunity?” Comments on Chapters 26-28 Thoughts on 1 Samuel 26 and 27 Once more, David passes on an opportunity to take out Saul, because David refuses to touch God’s anointed, even though he knows that Saul is unjustly after his blood. David knows that God has promised to give the throne to him, and he won’t force the issue by taking matters into his own hands. Have you ever heard the phrase “God helps those who help themselves”? Wouldn’t it make sense for David to take advantage of the situation here? Well, not really. Because that phrase is not in the Bible. God gave David the promise, and it is up to God to make it come to pass. It is not up to David.  When David shows Saul the spear and the water jug, Saul is finally convinced that David is not after him, and we have no more recorded instances that they ever saw each other again. So what of David’s statement at the beginning of chapter 27 that “One of these days Saul will sweep me away.” David may have convinced Saul, but David doesn’t trust Saul, and he is having an episode of weak faith. If his faith was strong, he would know that there is no way God will allow Saul to harm him.  I have known some wonderful men of God who sometimes had doubts. I have had periods in my own life where I wasn’t sure of God’s will for my life or whether I was even on God’s radar. This is a good reminder to pray for our pastors and other people in our lives, who come under attack. Our leaders, whether they be spiritual leaders or family leaders or governmental leaders often come under really intense pressure from all kinds of sources. Even those who we think are pillars of strength. In their hearts, they sometimes doubt. Pray for them. Encourage them. Lift them up. Thoughts on 1 Samuel 28 Saul seldom fails to do the wrong thing, does he? He is terrified at the prospect of fighting the Philistines, who have gathered an army to fight Israel. Had Saul been willing to turn to God, had he truly repented of his previous sinful actions, he wouldn’t be facing the Philistines here and now, and God would be his closest ally. But now, Saul receives no comfort or guidance from the Lord.  So Saul decides that if God won’t answer him, the next best thing is to go to see a psychic. Makes sense to me. Let’s conjure up a dead person. That’s always a good plan. Let’s conjure up a man of God. How ridiculous.  The psychic (or witch as some translations have it) does see something, but what she sees cannot be Samuel because a) this practice is against God’s law, b) we know from Luke 16 verses 19 through 31 that God does not allow the dead to communicate with the living and c) the message from this demonic spirit is meant to discourage and defeat Saul. The real Samuel would have told him to return to God, to ask forgiveness. This demon reminds Saul of his failures, and wraps up by telling Saul that he and his sons will be dead tomorrow.  This, by the way, is one of Satan’s favorite ploys. He loves to remind us of our failures, of our sins. Even sins that we have already taken to God and turned from. Sins that we have asked forgiveness for.  1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, God will forgive us. Psalm 103:12 tells us that God removes our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. But Satan tries to dredge them back up and rub our nose in them. He wants us to f