“Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. Now the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. And Saul’s servants said to him, “Behold now, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. Let our lord now command your servants, who are before you, to seek out a man who is skillful in playing the lyre; and when the evil spirit from God is upon you, he will play it, and you will be well.” So Saul said to his servants, “Provide for me a man who can play well, and bring him to me.” One of the young men answered, “Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing, a man of valor, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a man of good presence; and the LORD is with him.” Therefore Saul sent messengers to Jesse, and said, “Send me David your son, who is with the sheep.” And Jesse took an ass laden with bread, and a skin of wine and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul. And David came to Saul, and entered his service. And Saul loved him greatly, and he became his armor-bearer. And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, “Let David remain in my service, for he has found favor in my sight.” And whenever the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, David took the lyre and played it with his hand; so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him. –1st Samuel chapter 16.
The spirit working through others. God never abandons us. The Spirit departing from one corrupted by behavior away from the commandments of God enters another. The one left to his own devices, open to the influence of evil spirits, can not find peace. There is never truly an abandonment of God when one has time and a life. For one struggling against the ways of God, no matter how diligent the effort nor extravagant the enterprise, nothing satisfies. Without the Holy Spirit is to live a life of torment. The only thing that brings lasting peace for Saul is the music of one filled with the spirit. Without the spirit, we long for the spirit. Our heart is restless, until it rest in you. May God grant proper discernment, allowing torment, when we move against His ways. Fearfully falling into the sin of presumption, concupiscence, and obstinate self-will, God please impose unrest in our hearts during such times of dire consequence. Struggle is necessary when eternity is at stake.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved.
Psalm 62
Rembrandt
