HARPING DELIVERANCE

This week I read in I Samuel 16 how Samuel anointed David and how the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and a distressing spirit FROM THE LORD troubled Saul.

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel arose and went to Ramah. But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and a distressing spirit from the LORD troubled him.”

1 Samuel 16:13, 14

It was suggested to Saul, and Saul followed through on the suggestion, that he bring in David, the son of Jesse, a Bethlehemite, and a young harpist, to play so that the spirit that troubled him would leave. Saul loved David and David became his armor bearer. I am skipping over quickly … David approached Saul and offered to kill the Philistine giant, Goliath. He did. David cut the head of Goliath off and took it to Saul. Saul "DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM"!!! Saul asked who he was and whose son he was.

“So the king said, “Inquire whose son this young man is.” Then, as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand. And Saul said to him, “Whose son are you, young man?” So David answered, “I am the son of your servant Jesse the Bethlehemite.”

1 Samuel 17:56-58

That hit me hard!!! WHY would Saul not recognize the one he loved, the one who was his very own armor bearer? May I suggest that his problem in remembering David may have been dementia or Alzheimers. It was the Lord's doing to put that spirit on Saul and perhaps that is the reason some are unable to cast spirits out … because the spirit is there by the hand of God! What I read was that WORSHIP is key to breakthrough on this “distressing spirit”. If this “distressing spirit” could possibly represent dementia or Alzheimers, could WORSHIP be key to breakthrough today with these diseases?? That is what David did … he played the harp and the distressing spirit would depart from Saul!!

Going back perhaps 10 years I can remember the time when a couple from our church, friends of ours, whose adult daughter I had also become friends with, was in a sleep type coma for approximately 3 days. I offered to sit with her at the hospital so her Mom could leave, clean up, and get some things done. I felt the leading to take a CD player with me to play WORSHIP music, turn the loud nonstop TV off, and read scriptures while I sat with her. After an hour or two of worship music and the Word being spoken quietly in her room …. she woke up!!!!!!!! Not only that she wanted to eat and she wanted to walk downstairs, pulling her IV tree alongside!! She had Crohn's disease and later passed away.

Pondering:

* Perhaps we could test this theory by playing continuous worship music, harp music specifically, as Michael has mentioned to me. Just maybe we too would witness the power of worship that very well could bring breakthrough for the dementia or Alzheimer patient!!

* If this theory is correct - take a look at the sins of Saul – are similar sins today behind dementia and Alzheimers.

* I wonder if the distressing spirit could be the same “tormenting spirit” that we are turned over to when we refuse to forgive?