And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. — 1 Samuel 16:23
It is natural that we want to be soothed when something is wrong. For example, we will often take some type of medication for pain. Pain is not something we like to deal with and we know that the medication should help the pain. So we take it in hopes of finding relief.
At other times, we find ourselves discouraged or challenged and needing consolation. People will look everywhere for this consolation. Sometimes it is in addictive things, like drugs. At other times, they will find this consolation in things like music, food, or even traveling. While it may make them feel better, it does not fix the problem.
That’s the situation we find here with Saul. Saul was troubled and his advisors said it would be best to have someone who could play a harp to comfort him. While the harp let him forget about the trouble for that moment, it didn’t take the trouble away entirely. In fact, Saul’s trouble would go on for quite some time due to his failure to obey God.
As we seek consolation, we end up avoiding the solution to our problems. We just want that moment of peace. But that moment of peace can often cause us significant delays in truly dealing with the problem.
Is there something in your life that you are trying to console yourself with today? Maybe you have a problem, circumstance, or situation that you really want to avoid. So instead of dealing with it, you are seeking consolation in things of this world. God is not one to avoid things, He likes to address things.
Whatever is in your life that you are trying to avoid, give it to God. Let Him have control over the situation. Instead of seeking consolation in this world, seek consolation in the one who can actually make a difference in your circumstance. God is all about action rather than avoidance. Let Him be active in your life today!
Across the world, there are Christians that need encouragement and strength that only God’s word can provide. We are focused on helping Christians find encouragement, develop stronger relationships with God, and help non-Christians come to accept Jesus Christ as Savior. As a non-profit ministry, Another Well Ministries relies on donations to continue our work. You can find out more about us and ways to support us here.
If you enjoy our devotionals, subscribe for free to receive them daily in your email!