Then said Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her.  And his servants said to him, Behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at Endor.  1 Samuel 28:7
 
    Through spiritualism many of the sick, the bereaved, the curious, are communicating with evil spirits.  All who venture to do this are on dangerous ground.  The word of truth declares how God regards them.  In ancient times He pronounced a stern judgment on a king who had sent for counsel to a heathen oracle: "Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron?  Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt surely die" (2 Kings 1:3, 4).
 
    The magicians of heathen times have their counterpart in the spiritualistic mediums, the clairvoyants, and the fortune-tellers of today.  The mystic voices that spoke at Endor and at Ephesus are still by their lying words misleading the children of men.  Could the veil be lifted from before our eyes, we should see evil angels employing all their arts to deceive and to destroy.  Wherever an influence is exerted to cause men to forget God, there Satan is exercising his bewitching power....The apostle's admonition to the Ephesian church should be heeded by the people of God today: "Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11). (The Acts of the Apostles, 290)
 
Reflection:  It wasn't Samuel that appeared to Saul, but a demon impersonating Samuel.  What a sad story.  Saul, the first king of Israel, continued on a path that led to his demise.  We mustn't allow any form of media--or anything else, for that matter--to turn our minds from the explicit word of God.

 Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith.  And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.  1 Samuel 17:51
 
    There was a ring of fearlessness in his tone, a look of triumph and rejoicing upon his fair countenance.  This speech, given in a clear, musical voice, rang out on the air, and was distinctly heard by the listening thousands marshaled for war.  The anger of Goliath was roused to the very highest heat.  In his rage he pushed up the helmet that protected his forehead and rushed forward to wreck vengeance upon his opponent.  The son of Jesse was preparing for his foe.  "And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hasted, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.  And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in the forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth."
 
    Amazement spread along the lines of the two armies.  They had been confident that David would be slain; but when the stone went whizzing through the air, straight to the mark, they saw the mighty warrior tremble, and reach forth his hands, as if he were struck with sudden blindness.  The giant reeled, and staggered, and like a smitten oak, fell to the ground. (Patriarchs and Prophets, 648)
 
Reflection:  David had learned to put his whole trust in the Lord and charged Goliath like he was the giant.  David did not hesitate to take Goliath's sword and sever his head.  The Philistines were smitten with terror and all of Israel rejoiced.

 And Eliab his eldest brother heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David, and he said, Why camest thou down hither?...I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle.  1 Samuel 17:28
 
    The armies of Israel were depressed.  Their courage failed.  They said one to another, "Have ye seen this man that is come up?  Surely to defy Israel is he come up."  In shame and indignation, David exclaimed, "Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"
 
    Eliab, David's eldest brother, when he heard these words, knew well the feelings that were stirring the young man's soul.  Even as a shepherd, David had manifested daring, courage, and strength but rarely witnessed; and the mysterious visit of Samuel to their father's house, and his silent departure, had awakened in the minds of the brothers suspicions of the real object of his visit.  Their jealousy had been aroused as they saw David honored above them...and now the question which he asked was regarded by Eliab as a censure upon his own cowardice in making no attempt to silence the giant of the Philistines.  The elder brother exclaimed angrily, "Why camest thou down hither?" (Patriarchs and Prophets, 645)
 
Reflection:  One character trait we must overcome is being jealous of others.  Jealousy is a terrible disease.  It started with Satan.  David's brothers should have prayed with and encouraged David.  We should do the same and never entertain jealousy.

God Chooses David
 
        And he sent, and brought him in.  Now he was ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance, and goodly to look to.  And the Lord said, Arise, anoint him: for this is he.  1 Samuel 16:12
 
    A few miles south of Jerusalem, 'the city of the great King,' is Bethlehem, where David, the son of Jesse, was born more than a thousand years before the infant Jesus was cradled in the manger and worshiped by the Wise Men from the East.  Centuries before the advent of the Saviour, David, in the freshness of boyhood, kept watch of his flocks as they grazed on the hills surrounding Bethlehem.  The simple shepherd boy sang the songs of his own composing, and the music of his harp made a sweet accompaniment to the melody of his fresh young voice.  The Lord had chosen David, and was preparing him, in his solitary life with his flocks, for the work He designed to commit to his trust in after years.
 
    While David was thus living in the retirement of his humble shepherd's life, the Lord God was speaking about him to the prophet Samuel.  "And the Lord said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided Me a king among his sons." (Patriarchs and Prophets, 637)
 
Reflection:  Our characters are built through the responsibilities we perform every day.  Let us never think that God is not working on us because, in our minds, we believe we are dong some menial task.  So it was with David.  God was preparing him to be the next king by herding sheep.