The Power of Praise

The Power of Praise
Words of Faith 10-15-24
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2024
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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1 Samuel 16:13-23
[13] So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. Samuel then went to Ramah.
[14] Now the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. [15] Saul's attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. [16] Let our lord command his servants here to search for someone who can play the harp. He will play when the evil spirit from God comes upon you, and you will feel better." [17] So Saul said to his attendants, "Find someone who plays well and bring him to me." [18] One of the servants answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to play the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a fine-looking man. And the Lord is with him." [19] Then Saul sent messengers to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep." [20] So Jesse took a donkey loaded with bread, a skin of wine and a young goat and sent them with his son David to Saul. [21] David came to Saul and entered his service. Saul liked him very much, and David became one of his armor-bearers. [22] Then Saul sent word to Jesse, saying, "Allow David to remain in my service, for I am pleased with him." [23] Whenever the spirit from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then relief would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would leave him.

A mighty shift had taken place in the world of the spirit. David was invested by the Spirit of God, and at the same time, the Spirit left Saul. But there was even more to this. With the departure of the Spirit of God, Saul was tormented by an evil spirit.
     The language here is strong in stating that this evil spirit was "from God." Certainly, evil cannot originate in the Spirit of God. The strength of this language speaks to the sovereigntGod's sovereignty. Nothing, Lord, and nothing that escapes Hvereign permission. It was God who removed His shield of protection over Saul and permitted this evil spirit to come and torment him.
      Why? We don't know the purpose of all this. It may have been that the Lord was allowing adversity against Saul precisely so that David might bring the relief of the Spirit back into his life. Saul was not to be salvaged as king, but perhaps he would be recaptured by the Lord.
     Whether this spirit had sinful or only harmful characteristics, it is quite certain that it was a demonic or satanic instrument. The Lord once allowed an evil spirit to perform His will during the days of Abimelech. The Lord also allowed Job's tormenting trials. This is all within God's sovereign choosing. Saul experienced a tormentor that God had previously shielded him from.
      In his troubled state, Saul could find relief only in music, so he commanded that a musician be found. The Lord arranged for David to be the chosen musician. The young shepherd was apparently now a "brave man and warrior." He was introduced to the king's palace, and the Holy Spirit empowered David to drive away the evil spirit that overwhelmed Saul.
      A question for us: Does the Lord allow such things in our lives? 
Indeed, we must realize that the Lord will allow places of temptation or use the torments of the enemy for our growth and for our good. Just before His arrest, Jesus told Peter that Satan had asked permission to "sift you as wheat." What a stunning revelation, but the response was even more sobering. Apparently, Jesus gave the Enemy permission to do just that. Peter would be tested through the night and fail, only to later be restored. The Lord Jesus allowed this "sifting" with the assurance that He had prayed for Peter "that his faith would not fail." He reassured him that when he was restored, he would strengthen the others (Luke 22:31-32).
       Yes, God allows such tests. Among the most beloved of Christian truths is that we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). "In all things" means that God allows the Enemy limited access to us when it serves His purposes.
       But don't miss this other tremendous truth! We also see the power of the Spirit of God in worship to drive away the Enemy. If David were only known for his spirit of worship and heart for praise, he would have been one of the greatest gifts in all of Scripture. Here, we see the power of a heart after God and a spirit of worship. David was able to drive away the evil spirit that was tormenting Saul. Worship will always do that. The Enemy cannot stand a place of worship in Spirit and Truth.
      So don't be surprised if there are Enemy darts allowed to fly your way. But also, don't be surprised at how powerful worship will be in deflecting those darts.
 
     Father God, I worship You in Spirit and in Truth. I declare Your praises in the heavens and on the earth. I worship You with all that I am and surrender myself to You. Drive out anything unclean. Keep away the tormentor. I declare a place and space of praise for this day. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2024
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2024 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.