1 Samuel 7

OK so the Ark returns and then one man is set aside and put in charge of the Ark for 20 years.  Just let your mind wander for a min and think of what happened in 20 years of keeping the Glory of God in your house.  Israel sucks again, so Samuel tells them to quit what they are doing and return to God and they will be victorious.  The whole nation comes together and when the Philistines hear about it they a come a runnin.  God screws them up and Israel goes down and starts hacking wildly.  Kind of like picking on a 3 legged dog or a mongoloid you know.  The Philistines were a scarededed and didn’t set foot in Israel as long as Samuel was there.

What sticks out to me is that one man had the power to change the course of a nation.  I wonder if that is still true for today?  Does one person have the power or ability or insight to change a nation?  If like the Israelites, we tore down the idols came to God with our whole hearts and followed Him He would deliver us from our enemies?  What would happen if like them our nation came together to fast and pray for a whole day?  Maybe our enemies would never step foot in our camp again.  Its and encouraging passage as well as frustrating.  I think it can be done, but no one is doing it.  I think one man can change the nation, but who will be that man?  I think if we did it that way we could defeat our enemy, but we don’t want to hurt peoples feelings, and this is America, everyone has the right to choose who they want to serve and what idols they will put up.  Thank you God for Samuel, now make another one.  Shoe sounds like what you talked about this last chapter huh?

1 Samuel 5

This story follows the Ark back to Ashdod after the Philistines took it from the Israelites.  They set the Ark specifically under their god Dragon and God wasn’t having any of that.  So, He pulled Dragon down on his face before the Ark.  The people came out the next morning and put their puss of a god back up.  So, again Dad brought it down but this time He took the head and arms off this thing.  They freaked got tumors and sent it away to somewhere else that also got tumors and everyone was confused and angry and killing each other.  Anyone who fights against God will soon have enough of it. 

OK for me, what in my life am I fighting God on?  What spiritually, mentally or emotionally do I have tumors on because I wont denounce that way of thinking or that sin and turn to Gods way?  What places in my life have I decided to set above God (as they did with the Ark and placing it below their statue god) and God will eventually bring down?  What areas is God purposefully making confusing and angry for me because I wont turn from my ways?  Why do I try to bring God into my city when that’s not His resting place?

What do we overlook?

2 Chronicles 14 begins with the knowledge that Abijah is dead and we now have his son Asa reigning.  Let’s pick up in verse 2:

2 Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God, 3 for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images. 4 He commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to observe the law and the commandment. 5 He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah, and the kingdom was quiet under him.

OK, so what was Abijah doing before him.  I remember (since I read it yesterday) that Abijah was serving God.  He had confidence in all that God had spoken.  Yet this chapter tells us that he didn’t even get rid of the junk that caused the original downfall of his family.  WOW!  He was living for God but was holding on to his junk.  His son Asa comes to power and realizes that to truly live the way God had intended he needs to get rid of all the idols and everything that brings glory to the pagan gods.  How did Abijah miss this?  How do I miss this?  Too often we try to serve God and he still blesses us and protects us, but we keep an idol hidden here or there.  I will not wait to make my children clean up my messes.  I want to tear down every sacred pillar, anything and everything that I have in my life that is not pleasing to God.  Asa had peace for many years because of his acts of obedience and submission.

Father I submit to you today, everything that is in me.  Search my heart today.  Remove anything that keeps me separated from you.  Show me anything unclean, anything that I am trying to hold on to.  I was nothing but you.  Help me and my family to fall passionately in love with Jesus today!