I Samuel 28:8 “And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman by night. . . .”
Living in the Clear
When I was a kid, I loved to wear hats. Each different hat meant a different persona. You could pretend to be anyone in the world if you had the correct disguise for it! Disguises are great for kids, but they are not so great for adults. Sometimes we never put away the disguise. We try to pretend that we are something or someone that we are not.
King Saul wore a disguise when he visited the witch at Endor. He wanted this medium to call up Samuel so he could ask his advice. How ironic that Saul didn’t listen to a living Samuel but now wanted to listen to a dead Samuel! As king, Saul had outlawed the very practice that he now sought. No wonder he wore a disguise!
In the next chapter, David disguised himself in plain view. He bartered with King Achish to provide military might in exchange for protection from Saul. He was living with his enemies, pretending to be an ally. David didn’t wear an actual disguise like Saul did, but he disguised his true intentions. Neither situation of disguising—Saul’s or David’s—turned out well.
The lesson for us today is this: Live in the clear. It is amazing how much of our lives are not in the clear. Our intentions, our identity, and our dealings are often disguised. We may not see the silliness of disguising the truth, but neither did Saul when he visited Endor.
Be clear about who you are. Don’t pretend to be anybody else besides yourself. Saul tried and he failed. David tried and he failed. Live in the clear!
Be clear about what you want. Don’t disguise your true intentions or needs by the way your frame a matter. Be honest enough to ask “straight up” for what you want or need. Don’t disguise and deceive; live in the clear today!