Blinded By Desperation | 1 Samuel 28:10-14

Are you desperate today?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

In this chapter, King Saul is looking down at the inevitable war. He is outnumbered by Achish and David, who stand against him, and Saul makes a terrible mistake by consulting with the Witch of En-Dor. Here is our text in 1 Samuel 28:10-14:

But Saul swore to her by the Lord, "As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing." Then the woman said, "Whom shall I bring up for you?" He said, "Bring up Samuel for me." When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman said to Saul, "Why have you deceived me? You are Saul." The king said to her, "Do not be afraid. What do you see?" And the woman said to Saul, "I see a god coming up out of the earth." He said to her, "What is his appearance?" And she said, "An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe." And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage. — 1 Samuel 28:10-14

Out of desperation, Saul makes several terrible mistakes. He has to defy the Law of God, disobey orders he has given, put on a disguise, sneak out in the dark of night, lie to a witch about his identity, and invoke an oath to grant immunity against God. Even the witch has a higher ethical bar than Saul! Just when you thought Saul could not be more disobedient, he has sunk to new depths.

Desperation blinds us to the slow descent of our bad decisions.

You've felt it—that sinking feeling of desperation. Whether it's fear of failure, loneliness, or uncertainty, desperation can lead us to take steps we never imagined we'd take. Saul's fear of the opposing army, combined with God's silence, drove him to defy God's commands, violate his own decrees, and seek counsel from a forbidden source. With every step downward, Saul drifted further from God.

Desperation makes us justify the unjustifiable. It starts with one small compromise—a white lie, a quick fix, or a rash decision. Then, like Saul, we find ourselves breaking promises, defying boundaries, and engaging behaviors we once condemned. Saul's desperate descent was not a sudden leap. His descent into disobedience was a series of smaller, incremental steps taken over many years. In this situation, we get a snapshot. Each one felt necessary in the moment, but together, they led him to the depths of disobedience and despair.

Are you desperate today?

Have you begun to descend the ladder of disobedience?

Stop!

Don't take another step. Don't open your mouth. Don't have another justifying thought in your mind.

Just stop, pray, read God's Word, seek godly counsel, take one step of strict obedience today, and then wait on the Lord. Only fools do what Saul did. Desperate times don't ever call for disobedient measures.

#FaithOverFear, #TrustGodsTiming, #ObedienceMatters

Ask This:
What small compromises have you justified in moments of desperation, and how can you realign your decisions with God’s Word?
How can you pause today to seek God’s guidance instead of taking another step down the path of disobedience?
Do This:
Don't descend. Stop. Be obedient.

Pray This:
Lord, when desperation clouds my judgment, help me to stop and seek Your guidance. Strengthen me to trust You and take obedient steps. Amen.

Play This:
Overcome.