Hearing Him above the din

“Why do you listen 
to the words of men?”

1 Samuel 24:9

This is a question that's also a warning for us.  These words were spoken to King Saul by David.  Saul had been pursuing David with the intent to kill him, and when the two men were face to face, David challenged him with these words.  Saul had been told, and believed, that David intended to harm him, and in this meeting, Saul finally saw that this was not true.

So why had Saul listened to the words of men?  Because that was all he had.  Samuel the prophet had been Saul's advisor when he was first made king, but when the Lord had rejected Saul for his disobedience, Samuel stopped counseling him .  So when the Spirit of the Lord had departed from him, Saul had to rely on the men around him.  Men, who at worst, were conniving or scheming deceivers, and at best, were merely human.

I am blessed.  I accepted Jesus’ love and His gift of salvation many years ago, and when I did, I got the bonus prize:  God's Holy Spirit, forever residing in the temple that I am.   In moments of desperation,  I never have to rely on the words of men.  The Holy Spirit is my Comforter, my Teacher, my Helper, who brings to my remembrance all that Jesus has said to me.  What a joy!

Now, this is not to diminish the words of the Christ-filled people in my life.  God has placed around me many Christian men and women; people whose hearts have been given to God, and who also have the blessing of the Holy Spirit.  God can work mightily through these people in my life. 

So I think there is a lesson for me in David’s question to Saul.  I have the help of the Holy Spirit in me; I have the prayerful words of the saints of God in my life; and I have the glorious revelation of Jesus Christ in the Bible, fully available to me, and never far from me.  Why would I listen to the words of men??

~"These things I have spoken to you, 

that you should not be made 
to stumble"~

John 16:1