Matins Devotion: August 12, 2025

1 Samuel 28:3-25

When the witch of En-dor conjures up a spirit for Saul, she’s rather terrified and shocked when Samuel appears, which indicates that this isn’t what she’s used to. She’s used to parlor tricks and playing around with demons, it seems. And so, when real power erupts in front of her, we should probably conclude that God is actually the one doing the work here, that God is using this witch’s necromancy to speak a word of condemnation to Saul through Samuel, ultimately declaring to him, “Saul, time and time and time again, you have turned away from me. You have warred against me with your sins and now you want peace?  Well, as you can hear through the words of Samuel, there’s no getting past me. No way around my wrath. I am Lord of the living and the dead. And if you want victory over your enemies or comfort in this life, I will speak this word of condemnation through any witch or demon worshipper you employ to show you that there’s only one way to get it: through repentance. Every other path will lead you right back to my wrath. There is no peace, no victory without me.”

Let us learn the lesson Saul refused to learn. When you get caught up in sin and God refuses to give you peace, don’t try to find peace elsewhere. Don’t keep looking for another pastor until some belly-feeder in a collar tells you that you have no reason to repent simply because he wants your money or your validation. When the Scriptures call you away from your rebellion, don’t look for some other source of authority, some other book, some other religion, some blathering nonsense from a friend who knows less than nothing. Perhaps your self-selected witches of En-dor will give you worthless blathering nonsense that leads you into more condemnation or perhaps God will speak through them and once again show you that you can’t have an ounce of hope while running from him. Either way, you ain’t getting real peace in this life without submitting to God.

So run to Him. Run into the arms of the One who destroyed your sins upon the cross. Don’t run to the witches in the valley. Run to the Son in the garden, the One who doesn’t need to be conjured up because He is already living and victorious over the grave. Run to the risen Son of God who walked out of the tomb and gave you the right to come home with Him. Ask Him for forgiveness. He will grant it. Ask Him for comfort and He will always give it. Ask Him for peace and triumph and He will show you that His supply of these gifts will never run dry.