13 Saul died because he was unfaithful to the LORD; he did not keep the word of the LORD and even consulted a medium for guidance, 14 and did not inquire of the LORD. So the LORD put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.
Saul’s sins are outlined here, the sins that led to his death. Are we following his pattern? First, God’s Word did not have a proper place in his life. Second, he sought guidance from ungodly sources. Third, he did not ask the Lord for help. In each of these sins, Saul pushed the Lord to the edge of his life. He wanted the appearance of religiosity, but he didn’t want the reality. He wanted his freedom to do as he pleased, but he didn’t want the freedom to please the Lord. In Christ we have the freedom to live a life that pleases the Lord, and in the long run, and often the short run, it is a life that will be most satisfying. The Word contains some great advice on how to avoid things that will mess up our lives. Having sex outside of marriage will mess you up. Just ask the millions, perhaps billions who have. The sacredness and true fulfillment that intimacy can bring gets lost when it is given away frivolously. When we steal from others, the consequences are negative on ourselves and on society. We live in a society of locks, because people violate God’s Law. Think of the billions of dollars that would be saved it we didn’t have to worry about anyone stealing anything! Keeping our communication and intimacy with the Lord will save countless head and heart aches. And yet we often let this part of our life slip, often due to the busyness we choose. The Lord may not put us to death, but death does await us all. The question is, where will we spend our time after death?
The Arnold Journey 