God Is Not A Good Luck Charm!

1 Samuel 4:1-3 -  And Samuel's word came to all Israel. Now the Israelites went out to fight against the Philistines. The Israelites camped at Ebenezer, and the Philistines at Aphek.  The Philistines deployed their forces to meet Israel, and as the battle spread, Israel was defeated by the Philistines, who killed about four thousand of them on the battlefield.  When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, "Why did the LORD bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the LORD's covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies."

 

Samuel grew and began to deliver the words of God to Israel...but they still did not listen.  So as many times when they strayed from God’s plan …they found themselves in the midst of a mighty people…the Philistines…who battled them to subdue and make them slaves.  They tried to fight back…but God did not go with them into battle… 4,000 men dying at the hands of the Philistines. 

 

They hadn’t forgotten who God was…they had just left him out of their decision making. They remembered how powerful he was… thought his presence … thought the ark might bring them luck. But they needed more than luck this day…for God allowed even his precious ark to be captured…the sons of Eli to be killed…and 30,000 more men to die that day. Eli fell from his chair backwards at the news and broke his neck…making the count 30,001..then Phinehas wife died in childbirth making the count 30,002.

 

Their plan did not work because they had not consulted God…they had acted of their own intelligence…relying on their own wisdom and knowledge.  God was surely in the ark…but chose to use the bad choice of these leaders to teach them a lesson about his control over their lives. He used the opportunity to judge and pass sentence on Eli…his sons…and their wives.  He used this defeat and great tragedy to tell Israel how far away they had strayed from his glory.  Phinehas’ wife even named her child Ichabod…meaning ‘there is no glory.’

 

When we leave God’s presence for a time…for whatever reason…he allows our choices without him to provide a sort of natural consequence. The choice we made to use credit to buy ‘things’ we did not ask God for….that car we bought because ‘we’ just wanted it….an expensive ring we bought as a ‘special’ gift to ourselves….they become a daily reminder that we did not ask God if having those things were the right thing.

 

I speak from experience…for I left God out of many decisions just like these. All those ‘things’ I bought on credit….mean little these days…even though I thought they would give me happiness. That school loan is still looming over me….my only debt…all I manage to pay is a small portion each month that seems to be all interest.  The van I had to have…when the Taurus I drove was really fine…doesn’t look so new anymore…and I reflect many times a month how I paid way too much for it. The ring…well it fell into the great abyss located in the dash of my car…I haven’t seen it in two years. God probably allowed it to fall out into the road somewhere...knowing I really did not need it in the first place.

 

What I needed was a great big dose of Jesus….and the knowledge that I must continually seek his will and purpose for my life.  But I chose to be just like these Israelite leaders….making my own decisions…not once asking God for even his advice. The Israelite leaders did not need the ark…it belonged in the Holy of Holies…where God could sit in his glory on the seat between the cherubim.  They needed his presence in their lives….daily…..helping them to see his glory all around them…teaching their children how to seek him as well.

 

Someday…God will release me from these bad decisions…but for now…he must still be teaching me something with them. I am learning that true happiness does not come from ‘things.’ The check I write each month for the loan….the car I drive… and that ring stuck somewhere in my dash….they are daily reminders that from now on I need to ask God what to do.  I need to live one day at a time…content with what he has given…trusting him to provide for my needs.

 

Father…thank you for reminding me this morning that you are not found in any object you have placed here on Earth. Help me to release my lust for things…and to be content with what you send to me each day.  Show me how to change my heart to trust you for everything I need.  Show me how to seek your will in all the decisions I need to make here on Earth. Amen.