In my devotions this morning the Scripture took me to 1 Samuel 4. Israel is fighting the Philistines in this chapter and are not faring well. They believe they will do better if the Ark of the Covenant is present with them so they send for it. I don’t know what is more astonishing whether it is that they sent or it or that the priest let it go. If you read the Book of Exodus closely you will know that this Ark was holy before the Lord. It required special attention whenever it was moved. The priests were to be sure to cover it when it was out in the open so that people would not just gaze at it. The Ark was the place when in the holy of holies where God met with them. It was set apart but now in 1 Samuel it is used as a tool of war as if they could twist the arm of the Lord and have Him bring the victory because His ark is present. Well 30,000 soldiers of Israel died in that battle including Eli’s sons the priest and the Ark is taken by the Philistines.
I’m reminded this morning that many times we tend to use God that way. We go through the motions of church and prayer believing that by doing so maybe we can invoke God to be for us in our day to day activities. Maybe if we put a fish on the backside of our car or if we read the latest and hottest Christian book that has come out then our lives will be smoother. The fact of the matter is that God is quite offended by our going through the motions. What He desires of you and me is relationship. He desires a love relationship with you and me and he wants to do a great work in our lives. To do so it may require suffering. It may require deep pain but the end result in our sanctification.
Now I want you to know that I write these blog posts so that I myself can go back to them and read. Sometimes my lovely wife reminds me of something that I have written. You see many times I’m guilty of wanting to use God as my good luck charm. I call myself a Christian and doesn’t that mean that I will win all the battles that come my way. Not necessarily. God has greater goals for me than to give me a smooth life.
I pray because I love to spend time with Him and worship Him. I go to church because I enjoy God’s people and I desire hear a message from God for me. I read the Scriptures because I want to know Him. God is not my rabbits foot. He is my God. He is yours too.
Samuel later on told the people what they needed to do to defeat the Philistines. He told them: 1 Samuel 7:3 (ESV) 3 And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Amen Samuel.
