The Problem of Big Government

# 103 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:14-17, "And he will take the best of your fields, your vineyards, and your olive groves, and give them to his servants. 15 "He will take a tenth of your grain and your vintage, and give it to his officers and servants. 16 "And he will take your male servants, your female servants, your finest young men, and your donkeys, and put them to his work. 17 "He will take a tenth of your sheep. And you will be his servants.” (1 Sam 8:14-17) The phrase “he will take,” shows up six times in verses 11-18. This is what big government does. It takes and takes and takes, and the more it takes, the more it grows and consequently, the more it needs to take. Actually, these people had it pretty good, they were taxed at a rate of 10%. In America today we are taxed at a rate of 30% and that's just on our income. In 2012 the average American worked from January 1st to April 17th just to pay his income taxes! But we, like the Israelites have brought this on ourselves. Instead of limiting the God-given role of government to serve as His arm for keeping order in the land, we have given it responsibilities that belong to the church. Don't you know that the church is to be the vehicle of charity that God uses to bless the world, not the government? Read the Book of Acts and note how the New Testament church operated. Read the history books and see how the church carried out charitable acts among themselves and into the world. Ac 2:44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need. Somehow the church needs to recapture this spirit of charity. It starts with reviving our own love relationship with Jesus, which leads to proper stewardship of our own God-given resources and then our individual congregations as well.

An Example of Law and Grace

# 102 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:9-13, "Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them." 10 So Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who asked him for a king. 11 And he said, "This will be the behavior of the king who will reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for his own chariots and to be his horsemen, and some will run before his chariots. 12 "He will appoint captains over his thousands and captains over his fifties, will set some to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and some to make his weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 "He will take your daughters to be perfumers, cooks, and bakers. (1 Sam 8:9-13) Up until this time the Israelites were not ruled by a king. God served as their protector and provider. This was unlike any other arrangement in the world. As long as the people served and loved God rather than idols, the people were more blessed and more powerful than any other nation in the world. God would raise up leaders and then use them to bring enemy forces to their knees. Remember what Moses did in Egypt, Joshua in Canaan, Gideon, Deborah, and Samson in the period of the judges. When the people voluntarily followed God they lived in freedom and prosperity. And here's the key.....it was all voluntary service on their part. But now the people want a king like all the other nations. And note well what the king does, “He will take.” All right then people, this is what having a king will look like. Your sons and daughters will no longer have this volunteer option. They will be drafted into the kings service as soldiers in the army, and servants in the kings palace and on his land. They will be made to work in the kings weapons factories. They will serve as cooks, bakers, perfumers, and anything else the king may demand. What a picture of law and grace. One a life of compulsion, the other a life of voluntary service. Which would you rather live under? In Christ, we live and serve in love. 1Jo 4:19 says, “We love Him because He first loved us.”

Puss and the Reign of God

# 101 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:7,8 And the LORD said to Samuel, "Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. 8 "According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day-with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods-so they are doing to you also. (1 Sam 8:7,8) “Don't take it personal Sam. They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to Me over and over again.” God would be having this same conversation with His Son Jesus later on. It is as Jesus said in Joh 13:20 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who receives whomever I send receives Me; and he who receives Me receives Him who sent Me." The word “rejected” here is a very strong word. It means to flow out of like puss out of sores. It's used in Job 7:5 to describe the festering nature of his sores. It is to “become loathsome.” Okay, I don't know of any lukewarm Christian who regards God as puss. I mean we may keep Him at a distance, but in an emergency we are usually quick to call on Him and ask for rescue. No, typically it's not that we want to totally remove God from our lives. What is it then that becomes “loathsome to us? The answer is His reign. This is what we find loathsome. We rebel at the idea of God calling the shots in our lives. We treat His call to live holy lives in accordance with His Word like puss. Yes Jesus is our Savior, but He is also our Lord and King! Jesus said in Lu 6:46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say? We don't do them, because we find them loathsome. We treat His words like lepers, refusing to embrace them. Now listen carefully. God is not calling us to perfect obedience. No one is capable of that. He is just calling us to embrace His reign over us. When we do that, we will seek to live lives pleasing to Him, and have godly sorrow over the times we fail, believing then, and trusting in His kingly pardon and forgiveness through His Son, Jesus Christ.

How To Handle Your Displeasure

# 100 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:6 But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." So Samuel prayed to the LORD. It would be foolish for us to assume that Samuel was not familiar with that passage in Dt 17 that spoke of the day when the people would ask for a king to rule over them. This is Samuel. He knew the Word of God. Perhaps his displeasure stemmed from the fact that the request occurs during his watch. But more likely his displeasure was grounded in the fact that the people wanted a king “like the nations around them.” This attitude was trouble and Samuel knew it. It is as the Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul in 2Co 6:17a says, “Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. And in James 1:27, “Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.” We are to be in the world, not of it. It wasn't so much the idea that the people wanted a king, but that they thought they would be better protected under such an arrangement. This is the problem when people look to government for their answers, rather than God. Government, good and bad, is a tool of God. If that is the case , (and it is) as it says in Ro 13:1b says, “there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.” Then we need to ask ourselves, “Is it better then to look to the tool for our help or to the one who holds the tool in His hands?” One more very important lesson from this text. Look at how Samuel handled his displeasure. He was displeased, “so he prayed to the Lord.” He didn't vent his displeasure on the people. He took his displeasure to the Lord. Anything displeasing to you today? Anything got your dander up? Before you go off on others, why don't you take your displeasure to the Lord and wait for further instructions.

You're A King! Act Like One!

# 99 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:5b “Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." (1 Sam 8:4,5) As I mentioned last time, the elders were standing on solid biblical ground in asking for a king. God told the Israelites that such a request would one day be forthcoming. Well here it is. What they didn't take into account is their kings would not be like the other nations. God gave them specific rules for their kings behavior. We read about them in De 17:16-20, "But he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, for the LORD has said to you, 'You shall not return that way again.' 17 "Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away; nor shall he greatly multiply silver and gold for himself. 18 "Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 "And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 "that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel. You know, our country has been blessed with some presidents who were like these godly kings, and we have also been saddled with some who weren't. But be careful with this passage. Don't make it a litmus test for those in public office. Rather this should serve as a guideline for ALL believers. Do you not know that Christ is our brother and we are royalty, and these standards are guidelines meant for us? We are kings! Co-heirs with Christ. (Rom 8:17) We are not to return to Egypt! (reliance on the world) We are to be monogamous. We are not to hoard our riches. We are to be in God's Word daily, seeking to follow His will, and we are to serve Him in humility. We are kings in God's kingdom! Isn't it time we started acting like it?

In the World, Not Of It

# 98 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:4,5 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, 5 and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations." (1 Sam 8:4,5) After Joshua died the people were ruled by judges. These judges were raised up from among the people by God. But here's how that scene always played out: Jg 2:18 And when the LORD raised up judges for them, the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to pity by their groaning because of those who oppressed them and harassed them. 19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they reverted and behaved more corruptly than their fathers, by following other gods, to serve them and bow down to them. They did not cease from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.” I give these elders some credit here. They were desperately trying to stop this cycle. Samuel would die soon, and if the old pattern would continue the people would revert back to their godless ways and they would all suffer the consequences. Maybe a strong line of kings could stop the cycle. These elders were not acting whimsically. They were acting on Scripture. De 17:14, 15 says, “When you come to the land which the LORD your God is giving you, and possess it and dwell in it, and say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are around me,' 15 "you shall surely set a king over you whom the LORD your God chooses; one from among your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not set a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.” These elders just felt the time was right. The problem is, they wanted a king “like all the nations.” They should've read the rest of God's instructions for a king in Dt 17:16-20! God's kings were to be quite different from the kings of other nations. How many of you know, it's not wise to want to be like the world? Someone has rightly paraphrased Jn 17:15,16 like this: “followers of Christ should be “in” the world, but not of the world.” God help us to know the difference.

Passing the Test

# 97 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:1-3, “Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. (1 Sam 8:1-3) Say it isn't so! There was not a holier man in all of Israel than Samuel, and now his sons, like his predecessor Eli have turned bad. Friends, never underestimate the pull and power of the world and mammon. Joel and Abijah working far away from home in a prosperous city were lured in to the ways of the world. It's interesting that much was made about Eli's lack of control over the behavior of his sons, but not much is said here about Samuel. Shouldn't his feet be held to the fire too? What's that all about? It doesn't seem fair does it? Fair or not, we just aren't told how Samuel handled the situation. It seems the reason that their misdeeds are included here is to set the stage for the people demanding to have a king to rule over them. But wait. His sons are mentioned later on in 1 Sam 12:2 as part of Samuel's farewell address to the people. He said, "And now here is the king, walking before you; and I am old and grayheaded, and look, my sons are with you. I have walked before you from my childhood to this day.” Did Samuel really need to say, “and look my sons are with you?” Go ahead, read the verse without that phrase. It was not necessary, but it was added for a reason. The Holy Spirit wants us to know something here. I believe He wants us to know that Samuel took the corrective action necessary with his sons, and they were restored to the fellowship. “My sons are with you,” is another way of saying, “they are one of you, they have been corrected and restored!” This tells me that Samuel's feet were held to the fire and he passed the test. May God the Holy Spirit give us the strength and wisdom to pass any test that comes our way today.

Prodigal Children

# 96 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 8:1-3, “Now it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel. 2 The name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba. 3 But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice. (1 Sam 8:1-3) We aren't told what Samuel was thinking when he appointed his sons as judges in Israel. We do know that he placed them in the extreme southern portion of Israel. Beersheba was not a part of the circuit that Samuel followed when he judged Israel. Nonetheless it was an important area along the trade route between Egypt and Asia. Money likely flowed through this city. It talked. And evidently it talked loud and clear to Joel and Abijah. Away from the influence of their father, they gave in to temptation and perverted their judicial rulings for the sake of a greased palm. First lesson: Grace does not flow through the blood of humans. It is not in our genes, like the color of our hair to be passed down to the next generation. Grace only flows through the blood of Jesus. There comes a time in the lives of our children when they have to own their own faith. They must apprehend the blood of Christ and all it's benefits and make it their own, or......... not. How many parents find themselves jolted to this reality when their children leave home and go out into the world? Beersheba was about 50 miles from Ramah, where Samuel resided and I imagine he was devastated when the word came back to him concerning the lifestyle of his sons. If your children have become prodigals, take heart from this passage. Few people have approached the level of dedication and faith that Samuel had, yet he suffered the agony of prodigal children. Samuel experienced the same thing you are going through and he didn't let it affect his personal faith. Is there hope? Read Luke 15 beginning at verse 11. It's the story of the prodigal son. Then pray, that they may be like the prodigal and return to the Father.

Samuel, A Type of Christ

# 95 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:15,-17, “And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. 16 He went from year to year on a circuit to Bethel, Gilgal, and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places. 17 But he always returned to Ramah, for his home was there. There he judged Israel, and there he built an altar to the LORD. (1 Sam 7:15-17) As we said at the very beginning of this study in Samuel, this was a period of transition for the Israelites. They were at the end of the period of judges and about ready to be ruled by kings. Samuel served well in this role. He made himself available to the people in four specific locations. He settled disputes, made rulings, and of course carried out the office of priest and prophet. He taught the people the ways of the Lord. Even though he made a circuit from Bethel, to Gilgal, and to Mizpah, he made his home base at Ramah, not all that far from Bethlehem, where Jesus Christ, the Messiah would be born. And again we see that Samuel serves as a type of Christ. He served the people as Priest, Prophet, and King. He mediated for the people as he carried out the duties of priest. He taught the people about the kingdom and proclaimed the Word of the Lord to the people as prophet. And He made rulings or judged for the people as a king. One day, the Messiah would come from the area of Ramah (Bethlehem,) and He would mediate for the people, standing in the gap between unholy men, and a holy God. He would die on a hill outside Jerusalem again, not far from the area of Ramah for the sins of the world. He would serve as Prophet proclaiming the things of the kingdom, showing the way of salvation, and telling us how we should live as children of God, and He judges the world even now from the right hand of God the Father. It is from this position that He rules the affairs of this world, until He comes again and passes final judgment on the world. Are YOU ready for His return?

Regaining What Was Lost

# 94 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:13,14 “So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. 14 Then the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered its territory from the hands of the Philistines. Also there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. 1 Sam 7:13,14) Again, this whole portion of the book of Samuel from 7:3 through the end of the chapter paints a picture of the spiritual reality of the battle between the kingdom of God and the kingdom of the devil. It starts with God calling His people to repentance. This is an acknowledgment of sin against the Lord. The Lord then providing an intercessor for our sins, (Jesus) and then the ensuing spiritual battle as the devil seeks to regain the souls that have slipped from his grasp. Then the returning sinner calling on the Lord to help persevere in the faith through the encounters with the enemy. In today's text we see that the enemy was subdued during “all the days of Samuel,” Since Samuel is a type of Christ, we can say in our case that as long as we remain in Christ, the enemy will be subdued. He is on a short leash and Christ is the handler. The devil (Philistines) can only go as far as God allows. Furthermore we read that territory that had been lost to the Philistines is regained. Backsliding had cost the Israelites, but now with fresh repentance, forgiveness, and a new steadfast reliance upon the Lord, they regain the old ground. It is as the prophet Joel wrote in Joe 2:25 "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you.” This is what happens to the sinner who repents, turns to Jesus, and perseveres in the faith. The Father restores the spiritual blessing that were lost, things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Need some of this in your life? Then turn to Jesus.

Tell the Story

# 93 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." (1 Sa 7:12) The Ebenezer stone. The monument set up by Samuel to remind the people of the Lord's help in their battle with the enemy. The name itself a testimony to a time when the people were delivered from the Philistines. This stone would give a reason to explain to all who passed by who the Lord is and what He is capable of doing. Fathers and their children could even take a pilgrimage to the spot and the father could relate the story to their children. That's what monuments do. They tell stories of what has been done. Jacob set up a monument at the place where he had the vision of the angels ascending and descending to earth. Joshua set up twelve stones at the place where the Israelites crossed the Jordan. These stones were always meant to tell the story of God's redemptive work among the people, and they were meant for all the generations that would follow. I don't have a pile of stones set up in any geographical area, but I do have a file in my computer that I call thanksgiving stones. This file is my permanent record of God's redemptive workings in my own life. When things happen in my life that can only be explained by the power of God, I make note of them. I like to take them out and read them periodically. They are great faith strengtheners and help prepare me for any future spiritual battles that I may face. They remind me that “thus far the Lord has helped me.” There is one monument, one Ebeneezer that we should never overlook. It's called the cross. Crosses are everywhere, unfortunately they have often become merely a piece of jewelry to adorn our necks, or part of the dressing of a building. But they should be used as a tool by us to tell the story of “God so loved the world.” It's what monuments do, they tell stories. The next time you see a cross, use it as an opportunity to tell the story of Christ's love for the world.

God Wins Through Jesus

# 92 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:9-11, “And Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. Then Samuel cried out to the LORD for Israel, and the LORD answered him. 10 Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel. 11 And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car. (1 Sam 7: 9-11) Upon repenting of their sins and turning to God, the Israelites are faced with the counter attack of the Philistines. Gripped with fear, they ask Samuel to pray for them. Samuel takes a spotless lamb and prays. This offering is the equivalent of you and I praying today in the name of Jesus. We come to the throne of grace only because of the offering of Jesus Christ on Calvary. Heb 10:19 says, “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus,” “And the Lord answered him,” He heard and honored the prayer of Samuel. In the name of Jesus, He will honor our prayers as well. He answered with furious startling thunder. Thunder on the right, thunder on the left, thunder above, thunder all around, so intense that it created panic among the troops and they scattered. The Israelites win in a rout. But this shouldn't surprise us. The prayer of Samuel wasn't the only prayer answered on this day. This victory was prayed for by Hannah back in 1Sa 2:10, “The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; From heaven He will thunder against them. The LORD will judge the ends of the earth. "He will give strength to His king, And exalt the horn of His anointed." Both of these prayers and their subsequent outcome are to serve as reminders to us all, that in the end, God wins through Jesus, the enemies of Christ will be judged!

Spiritual Warfare

# 91 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:7,8 Now when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel had gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard of it, they were afraid of the Philistines. 8 So the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Do not cease to cry out to the LORD our God for us, that He may save us from the hand of the Philistines." (1 Sam 7:7,8) I can't say it enough. Remember, the Philistines are a type of the world, our flesh, and the devil. Why is that important to remember? It's important because in the world of spiritual reality, the devil abhors repentance. There may be rejoicing in heaven over every sinner who repents, but there is gnashing of teeth in hell, and the devil does not go down without a fight. This is spiritual reality folks. And just as the Philistines “went up against Israel,” He will come up against every repentant sinner, using every tool at his disposal seeking to separate them from their new found love of God. I know. I've been there. In those early days after God graced me with the gift of repentance and subsequent salvation, the devil countered. He countered with temptation of my flesh. He countered with ridicule from the world. He countered with an indescribable darkness very much akin to depression. Many times I was ready to give up and return to my old ways. But here in Samuel we have the answer to the devils counter attacks. Remember Samuel is a “type” of Jesus here, an intercessor. And when the enemy comes against us, as he surely will, we must cling to Jesus, believing that He is ever willing to intercede on our behalf. We must pray like the Israelites prayed, " Jesus, do not cease to fight for us, that we might be saved from the hand of the devil." Purpose to hang onto Jesus no matter what. No matter how dark, He will pull you through. Persevere! Eventually the devil backs off, but one more very important word of caution. Don't let your guard down. He'll be back at other opportune times, and when he returns for battle, remember these early victories. The key to spiritual victory is to cast yourself on Jesus and persevere!

God's Plan of Salvation

# 90 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:5,6 “And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." 6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. (1 Sam 7:5,6) This is such a powerful picture of God's plan of salvation, and we would do well to soak it in. God gives us these pictures because it is His desire that all men would be saved. He does not delight in the death (read that the damnation) of the wicked. (Ez 33:11) and in 2 Pet 3:9 we read that He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” Here's the picture: Samuel is a type of Christ whom God sends to intercede on behalf of the people. He, like Jesus, stands in the gap between a holy God and an unholy people, (you and I) Jesus is a living prayer for mercy from God and pardon from Him for our sins because of what he did on the cross. Jesus stands forever as the intercessor for all mankind, but only those who see their need for forgiveness can truly receive Him. We like the Israelites must confess, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now, note the final portion of this passage, “and Samuel judged.” This is what happens next in God's grand scheme. The Lord Jesus will come again, and He will judge all the people of the earth. His judgment will be based on whether or not we have come to repentance, and received Him as our Savior and Lord. On that Day, each one of us will have to give an account, and that account will come from our Great Intercessor, Jesus Christ. He will tell the Father whether we are in Him, or on the outside looking in. The criteria for judgment is summed up for us in Joh 12:48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him--the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day. Are you ready for your court date? What are you doing with His Word?

Three Earmarks of A Christian

# 88 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:5,6 “And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." 6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. (1 Sam 7:5,6) Samuel is pictured as a type of Christ here as he carries out his priestly duties of interceding for the people. What a comfort to know that Jesus is doing the same for His brothers and sisters today. Heb 7:25 says, “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” Who is Jesus interceding for? “Those who come to God through Him,” and part of the process of coming to God involves repentance and contrition. It is an admission that we have sinned against the Lord, and that we need a Savior! Then believing that the work, and the prayers of our Intercessor are heard by God. We can be assured of our acceptance because of His resurrection from the dead. Now, I also want to talk a little bit about fasting because I think the lack of it in the church today is scandalous. It's not that fasting can earn merit with God, but it is an earmark of the follower of Christ, along with praying, and giving to the poor. These three disciplines of the Christian are spelled out for us in the Sermon on the Mount in Mt 6:2,5,16. Jesus says, “WHEN you give, WHEN you pray, and WHEN you fast,” It's not if, or perhaps, or should , it is WHEN. Furthermore in Mt 9:15b Jesus says, “the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they WILL fast. How are you doing with these disciplines? Are they an earmark of your Christian life? Read this portion of Matthew again and note that even though these earmarks are not to be displayed to the world, they are to be displayed to God. They are meant for His eyes alone, and know too that according to Mt 6:4, “your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.”

Pouring Out Water = Dying To Self

# 88 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:5,6 “And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you." 6 So they gathered together at Mizpah, drew water, and poured it out before the LORD. And they fasted that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah. (1 Sam 7:5,6) Now that the people have put away their idols showing their desire to return to the Lord, Samuel calls for a national assembly at Mizpah. The word means watch tower and likely was chosen because it enabled them to be watchful against their enemies. It was likely a safe place to meet. Once there, they drew out water and poured it out before the Lord. This was a symbolical act that represented a pouring out of self before the Lord. It's a good picture since over 50% of the human body is made up of water. It's a physical sign that shows a desire of the people to let go of self once and for all. As we read in 2Sa 14:14, it's a beautiful picture of dying to self. "For we will surely die and become like water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.” A further sign of their willingness to place God before themselves was their decision to fast. Fasting is like praying with our bodies. It is denying our bodies physical pleasure for the sake of making more room for God. The Israelites had allowed their idolatry to lead them to a point of despair. A point where they were finally willing to meet together as a church in humility and sorrow over their sins. I wonder when we will reach that point in our land? I wonder when individual congregations will be hit with the realization that we have become very much entangled in the sin of idolatry and thus are “sinning against the Lord,” When will we stop shaking our head about what's going on around us and take the corrective action as prescribed by Samuel. Simply stated, when will we repent, fast, and pray in genuine sorrow over our sin.

Opening A Can of Worms

# 87 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:3,4 “Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. (1 Sam 7:3,4) When Samuel speaks to “all the house of Israel,” he is speaking to the church. He says, “listen church, are you serious about returning to the Lord? Then you are going to have to do some house cleaning.” You can't have an outward show of Christianity and allow idolatry and it's fruits to co-exist in a congregation. We talked about some of the fruits of idolatry yesterday. Child sacrifice and sexual sin are always near the top of the list, but they certainly aren't the only earmarks of idolatry. Continual, stubborn, hard-hearted rebellion of all types against God (sin) must not be whitewashed with cheap grace. This was the problem that Paul had to deal with in the congregation at Corinth, where a man was engaged in open, blatant, sexual sin Listen to his instructions to the Corinthians: 1Co 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. This is a can of worms that needs to be opened in virtually every church in America. Cans of worms aren't pretty. They're messy, but if they are left alone an even bigger mess ensues. Right now, I'd say we have a pretty big mess. God has given us clear instructions on how to deal with rebellion in His church. It begins with removing the logs from our own eyes, (dealing with our own sin) then personal contact with the erring brother using the principles of Mt 18:15-17. Never forget, the ultimate goal is always the restoration of the rebel.

The Characteristics of Idolatry

# 86 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 7:3,4 “Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." 4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only. (1 Sam 7:3,4) The people were at the mercy of the more powerful Philistines. They were living in constant fear, without peace, continual defeat. Living in lament. Remember, the Philistines are a type of the devil, the world, and our flesh. And right now it seems that all three are having their way in the church and in our land. But look at the promise here! God says he will deliver us from the hand of the Philistines. But there are conditions. Samuel says, “if you are serious about changing your situation, then start out by removing the foreign gods among you. Let me tell you about these foreign gods of the Philistines. The worship of these gods was characterized by the practice of human sacrifice, ritual prostitution, homosexuality, and self-mutilation.” Hmmmm, sound familiar? Abortion, a lack of sexual restraint, homosexuality, and cutting are all rampant in the land. This is the fruit of idolatry. These are the signs that idolatry is present in the land. We bemoan all of these godless actions, but maybe we should start by bemoaning our own idolatry. I think it is interesting that Ashtaroth means increase, it comes from a word that means riches. The question begs to be asked, who are we serving? God or mammon? Are we willing to put away our infatuation with material goods and become infatuated with God? Is God more important to you than your wallet and creature comforts? Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you” More importantly, when we go all in with God, we will experience victory over the world, our flesh, and the devil.

When God Became A Museum Piece

# 85 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 6:21-7:2, “So they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjath Jearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up with you." 7:1 Then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and consecrated Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD. 2 So it was that the ark remained in Kirjath Jearim a long time; it was there twenty years. And all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD. (1 Sa 6:21-7:2) Wait a minute! Who brought back the ark of the Lord? How slow to perceive these people of Beth Shimesh are! A driverless cart with the ark of the covenant pulls up by a sacrificial stone and stops, and they give credit to the Philistines! Imagine a car pulling up in your driveway with the same cargo and no driver. Would you give credit to the previous owner or would you acknowledge the miracle and give glory to God? This is a sad part of the history of Israel. The people don't recognize God when He plainly shows up, and they would just as soon have nothing to do with Him. And He is shuttled off to another town. In this new town, the ark is given a house of a private citizen located on top of a hill where a young man is commissioned to watch over it. We would call this man a curator today. Someone taking care of a piece of history. God had become a museum piece in Israel. A piece of powerless quaint history and nothing more. The ark would remain in this museum for a total of forty years. The first 20 were likely very difficult times, because the difficult times finally brought lamentation (groaning) to the Israelites. They began to groan for God and revival came. And after 40 years David would come for the ark and seek to put it in it's rightful place. The question begs to be asked of each of us today. Has God become a museum piece? A quaint piece of historical curiosity? Has he been shuffled off to an obscure room in our heart, or is He an active vibrant force that we eagerly seek to engage in our day to day activity? One leads to groaning the other to joy.

Who Is Able To Stand

# 84 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 6:19,20 Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, and the people lamented because the LORD had struck the people with a great slaughter. 20 And the men of Beth Shemesh said, "Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? And to whom shall it go up from us?" (1 Sam 6:19,20) No word on how these men died, but I would wager they dropped over from fright and sheer terror. Note the words, “Who is able to STAND before this holy Lord God.?” It's not like God hadn't warned the people. Ex 19:21 says, “And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to gaze at the LORD, and many of them perish.” These people peeked into the ark of the covenant, got a glimpse of the unveiled holy God and died on the spot. It's just as Isaiah said in Is. 6:5, when he found himself in the presence of God. “Woe is me I am undone.” ….For I have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts.” Isaiah survived his encounter because by an act of God he was cleansed and his sins were purged. What about you? Will you stand or will you fall in the presence of God on judgment day when you meet your Maker? Listen to the lot of those left behind on that Day: Re 6:15 And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16 and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 "For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?" The answer on That Day is no one on earth will be left standing, because those who are found in Christ will have already departed meeting the Lord and His army of victorious saints in the air. 1Th 4:16,17 says, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Beloved, find out what it means to be “found in Christ.” Pray that God will open your eyes to the truth of Php 3:9 where the Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul tells us what it means to be found in Him: “ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;” Being found in Him, is placing your faith in Christ's righteousness and not relying on your own works or goodness. That truth is further illustrated in Ro 10:3, where we are told to submit to the “righteousness of God” which is embodied in the Lord Jesus Christ. “For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.” Submit to Jesus! Clothe yourself in Christ in baptism, and continue in the faith, living a life of submission to Him until He comes again.

Don't Get Hung Up On Sheer Numbers

# 83 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 6:19a, “Then He struck the men of Beth Shemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD. He struck fifty thousand and seventy men of the people, (1 Sam 6:19a) This is a problematic verse because of the sheer number of people that were slaughtered. Many commentators have struggled with ways to justify the figure and common sense would tell us that a much smaller figure than 50,000 would be in order. I mean, where will you find 50,000 men in a village the size of Beth Shemesh? Transcribing numbers from original texts is a dicey job. One little error from a copyist and a number can be blown way out of proportion, and there are other problems and nuances to deal with in translation of numbers that quite frankly are way out of my league and I'll let the experts work it out. Maybe, a quick lesson for us all here is let's not be so concerned about sheer numbers! Be much more concerned about the “effects.” When people ask about the success of a church, the answer given is most often a numerical one. It's usually a body count of average attendance, or the number listed on the membership rolls. These are useful figures, but should never be used to gauge the spiritual strength of a congregation. On that first day of Pentecost, the Book of Acts tells us that “about 3000 souls were baptized.” But the Holy Spirit doesn't dwell on the number, He went right to the effects to measure the true strength of the church. In Ac 2:42-47 the effects were clearly evident as we read of the new converts meeting together, praying together, participating in the Lord's Supper, and acting upon the biblical teaching of the apostles. They shared of their material goods seeking to meet the needs of others in the church. The result: Ac 2:47b And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved. Maybe, we should seek to follow the example of the early church and let God take care of the numbers.

He Is Able

# 82 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 6:16 So when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day. 17 These are the golden tumors which the Philistines returned as a trespass offering to the LORD: one for Ashdod, one for Gaza, one for Ashkelon, one for Gath, one for Ekron; 18 and the golden rats, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both fortified cities and country villages, even as far as the large stone of Abel on which they set the ark of the LORD, which stone remains to this day in the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh. (1 Sam 6:16-18) Not one part of Philistia was left untouched by the judgment of God. It was thorough. Every major city, ever little town and village was affected. Every principality then acknowledged God's superiority as evidenced by their offerings of gold. This is a picture of the ultimate victory of Jesus over the devil and his demons. It was a foreshadowing of what is spoken of in Col 2:15, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.” The large “stone of Abel” is mentioned as a monument to God's victory over the powers and principalities that had their grip on the Philistines. Are you a baptized believer in the Lord Jesus Christ? Then this victory is your victory. God ruled the Philistines and their lords then, He rules the devil and his demons now. They can only go so far as He allows. Remember: 1Jo 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. And by the way, it is a good idea to create your own monuments. Mark them down. Make note of the times that God has showed up in your life and given you victory. I have a file in my computer marked thanksgiving stones for just such occasions. They serve as reminders to me when I struggle, that God is faithful and powerful and more than able to accomplish what concerns me today.

Beware of Expediency

# 81 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 6:13-15, “Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it. 14 Then the cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth Shemesh, and stood there; a large stone was there. So they split the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the LORD. 15 The Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the chest that was with it, in which were the articles of gold, and put them on the large stone. Then the men of Beth Shemesh offered burnt offerings and made sacrifices the same day to the LORD. (1 Sam 6:13-15) The miracles continue. Just imagine being a worker in the field harvesting wheat and lo and behold a driverless cart comes tooling down the road carrying the precious ark of the covenant. The glory of God had departed seven months ago, but now it had returned! God's glory, the physical evidence of His presence, returns at His will. We cannot manufacture God's glory, we cannot manufacture revival. Ro 9:15 says, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion." We pray for these things, but ultimately they are in His hands. As the reapers likely follow the cart, it veers off the road and turns into Joshua's field and pulls up by a rock suitable for an altar...and stops. It seems a sacrifice to God is in order here, and so they use the wood from the cart and the flesh of the two cows. It was the expedient thing to do. In hindsight, I think the people should've exhibited some patience and waited for the Levites. There were strict rules regarding the handling of the ark of God and they needed to be followed. If they had been followed, the disaster that was about to come upon the Beth-shemites could've been avoided. Learn from this. Sometimes obeying God's Word is a bother, and we opt for what seems to be more practical to us, but in the end even well-meaning expediency at the price of obedience invites disaster.

Jesus Take the Wheel

# 80 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 6:10 Then the men did so; they took two milk cows and hitched them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home. 11 And they set the ark of the LORD on the cart, and the chest with the gold rats and the images of their tumors. 12 Then the cows headed straight for the road to Beth Shemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and did not turn aside to the right hand or the left. And the lords of the Philistines went after them to the border of Beth Shemesh.” (1 Sam 6:10-12) What a miracle! Consider the facts. Two untamed cows hitched to a wagon with no driver. The sounds of their bawling calves still ringing in their ears as they are yoked to this wagon. The cows themselves lowing in distress because they want to be with their calves, but something bigger and stronger than their maternal instinct drives them to Beth-Shemesh. It's called grace. The divine impulses of God! Consider this too: How did the cows know that Beth- Shimesh was a Levite city and a place where the ark was suited to reside? What is going on here? Well, remember that this cart was not as driverless as we might imagine. The ark of the covenant was placed in it. The very presence of God was in that cart and without the use of reigns or whip, He prodded the cows onto their destination. This is just as much a miracle as Jesus calming the raging sea. Remember the disciples response to that? "Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!" We should read this story and say, “Who can this be, that even wild cows obey Him? You see, cows, and all of nature do not resist the grace of God. They move in accordance with His divine impulses. We on the other hand can and do resist God's grace. Isa 1:3 says, “The ox knows its owner And the donkey its master's crib; But Israel does not know, My people do not consider." Therein lies our problem. We don't consider the benefits of Gods rule in our lives. Beloved, turn the reins of your life over to God. Let Jesus take the wheel.

Ignoring the Evidence

# 79 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 6:7-9 "Now therefore, make a new cart, take two milk cows which have never been yoked, and hitch the cows to the cart; and take their calves home, away from them. 8 "Then take the ark of the LORD and set it on the cart; and put the articles of gold which you are returning to Him as a trespass offering in a chest by its side. Then send it away, and let it go. 9 "And watch: if it goes up the road to its own territory, to Beth Shemesh, then He has done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not His hand that struck us-it happened to us by chance." (1 Sam 6:7-9) The Philistines with their vague ideas about the God of Israel are still not convinced that these plagues of hemorrhoids and rats were from the Lord, and so they come up with one incredibly rigged test. They make a new cart and take two cows who have never been yoked and hitch them up to the cart and then take their calves away from them. Then the put the ark on the cart and let the cows loose. No driver, just see where they go. I'm not a betting man, but my money is on the cows returning to their calves. Isn't it incredible how these people can ignore the evidence of the judgment of God. Dagon the lifeless statue on it's face before the ark, not once but twice. Rats everywhere, shelves at the drugstore emptied of Preparation H, and deep down they still don't want to send the ark back to the Israelites. But our world is no different today. The evidence of God is everywhere, yet most people refuse to bow to Him. We want to keep Him around, but we don't want to bow to Him. Ro 1:20, 21 says, “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Read the rest of Romans 1 and see the end of foolish darkened hearts! The Philistines tried to treat God as a trophy and an ace in the hole. This incident should prove to us all that He is neither. He is God! He is to be honored as such and we are to live our lives in humble thankfulness to Him.

You Want Me To Make What?

# 78 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 6:4-6, “Then they said, "What is the trespass offering which we shall return to Him?" They answered, "Five golden tumors and five golden rats, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines. For the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. 5 "Therefore you shall make images of your tumors and images of your rats that ravage the land, and you shall give glory to the God of Israel; perhaps He will lighten His hand from you, from your gods, and from your land. 6 "Why then do you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When He did mighty things among them, did they not let the people go, that they might depart? (1 Sam 6:4-6) Ever get a gift from someone and you said something like, “You really shouldn't have,” ….and you really meant it! This appears to be such a gift doesn't it? “Hey thanks Philistines, just what I always wanted. Golden hemorrhoid replicas and rats for My charm bracelet! And what about the goldsmith? “You want me to make a what?” Seems ridiculous, but when you boil it down, that's what all forms of idolatry are....ridiculous! To their credit though, in making the golden images of these two things, the Philistines are acknowledging that the God of the Israelites was indeed responsible for the plagues that beset them, and in that manner were “giving glory to God.” They also knew some of the history of the Israelites and seemed to be indicating that the sooner the Philistines did this act of what they perceived as proper appeasement, the better it would be for them. Egypt delayed and the plagues got only worse. Good lesson for all of us. Don't delay dealing with your sins. Repent! Turn to Jesus, lest things get worse. And don't think you can appease the wrath of God with your good works. They work about as well as a golden hemorrhoid. Only one thing appeases the wrath of God against sin, and that's the blood of Jesus. 1Jo 1:7b says, “the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.”

The Significance of Seven Months

# 77 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 6:1-3”Now the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months. 2 And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it to its place." 3 So they said, "If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty; but by all means return it to Him with a trespass offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why His hand is not removed from you." (1 Sam 6:1-3) The ark of the covenant and its message of death, destruction, and judgment upon the godless would be with the Philistines for seven months. The number seven is significant here because it represents God acting on the world. (The number of God (3) plus the number of the world (4). It is God's holy dealing with men. The significance of this number is one of the major features of the Book of Revelation and the Holy Spirit wants us to make the connection between this judgment upon the Philistines and the Last Days. We are living in the Last Days. Jesus could return at any time. And this incident with the Philistines should remind us all of the death and destruction and suffering that awaits the godless in eternity. Faith in Christ is our only hope to escape God's final judgment. The Philistines were still not sure that God was the source of these judgments upon the land. (Note the phrase “if you send away the ark”) So true even today, we are so slow to see the warning signs, so slow to attribute our woes to God trying to get our attention. Even now we are experiencing God's judgment in our land, but is anyone saying, “Forgive us Lord, have mercy, for we have brought this on ourselves.” One quick example: We lament the proliferation of sexual sin in our world today, but read Rom 1:18-32, and see why God “gave them up to vile passions.” He gives us up because we chase after the creature rather than the Creator. We seek to serve our flesh rather than God.

There Will Be Wailing and Gnashing of Teeth

# 76 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 5:10-12, “Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. So it was, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us, to kill us and our people!" 11 So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go back to its own place, so that it does not kill us and our people." For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there. 12 And the men who did not die were stricken with the tumors, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. (1 Sam 5:10-12) Pity the poor people of Ekron. Death and destruction has followed the ark of the covenant wherever it has gone, and now it's coming to their town. The people had no vote in the matter, no say. Suddenly it shows up in town and the “hand of God was very heavy there.” Death and destruction overwhelms the city. The cries of the inflicted, the wailing of the widows reaches up to the sky! One of the gravest misconceptions about God in our culture today is that He is nothing but love and mercy. People forget that He is also holy and just. Being holy, He cannot tolerate sin. Our dilemma of course is that we are all sinners, We all deserve the heavy hand of God. What to do? In His mercy and love God sent His only Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins, and all who turn to Him and trust in Him, have their sins forgiven. But those who do not trust in Jesus will inherit the lot of the cities of the Philistines. Death and destruction. And on that Last Day, there will be no “sending away” the presence of God. Those who rejected Jesus will cry for the very rocks to fall on them rather than meet the holy gaze of Christ. Jesus tells us how it will be in Mt 13:41,42, "The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 "and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Heed His warning from Lu 13:3b, “unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

He Brings Giants To Their Knees

# 75 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 5:8 Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the lords of the Philistines, and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" And they answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away to Gath." So they carried the ark of the God of Israel away. 9 So it was, after they had carried it away, that the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction; and He struck the men of the city, both small and great, and tumors broke out on them. (1 Sam 5:8,9) The entire city of Ashdod was plagued by death and hemorrhoids. Therefore the rulers of the Philistines met to discuss the situation. It's clear they were thinking of a possible connection with their possession of the ark of the God of Israel and their woes, however, they weren't quite convinced that God was their problem. So they came up with the idea to send the ark to Gath. Recognize that name? It's the home of Goliath and his big brothers. Gath was one of those cities where the y grew them big. Jos 11:22 None of the Anakim (giants) were left in the land of the children of Israel; they remained only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod. Perhaps David thought of this when He went after Goliath in battle. Perhaps he knew the history of the time both of these cities were literally brought to their knees by an outbreak of hemorrhoids. I don't care how big or small you are, when hemorrhoids are extreme, you aren't going to be worth much in battle. If God could do this with hemorrhoids, He could certainly bring Goliath to his knees with a slingshot in the hands of a God-fearing, God-loving boy! David's boldness and confidence came from His personal history with God and His faith in God's power. The next time you are up against a giant in your life, remember these incidents. Remember the incidents in your own life when God came through for you. He is able to bring whole cities of giants to their knees. 1Co 15:57 says, “ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Mr. Whipple Was A Very Busy Man

# 74 – Today's Du-votional comes from 1Sa 5:6 But the hand of the LORD was heavy on the people of Ashdod, and He ravaged them and struck them with tumors, both Ashdod and its territory. 7 And when the men of Ashdod saw how it was, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god." (1 Sam 5:6,7) The Philistines still did not make the connection between the power of God and the powerlessness of their god, and so they invited the heavy hand of God upon themselves. The New King James is a little too kind here using the word tumors, the King James calls these tumors “emerods,” which means hemorrhoids. Obviously, these were severe cases and the entire city was struck with them. Mr. Whipple was a very busy man. It seems like a strange punishment from the Lord but it is not without precedence. In Dt 28:15, He warned His people of such a plague if they chose to live in disobedience to Him De 28:15 "But it shall come to pass, if you do not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you: Then in De 28:27 He lists these hemorrhoids among the curses. "The LORD will strike you with the boils of Egypt, with tumors, with the scab, and with the itch, from which you cannot be healed. The last time I checked, hemorrhoids are not a contagious disease. Such a striking of an entire city could only be a punishment from the Lord. A national punishment delivered to each individual. There should be no doubt among those stricken where the curse came from. And there should be no doubt for the reason.....disobedience to the Lord. This should serve as a warning to all that there are consequences to shunning the Lord.