Samuel-Part 3

If you want to add God to your life, you need to subtract something from it.

–Pastor Aaron

I wish Israel recognized this quicker. I wish putting this into action was easier. In the book of Samuel, Israel is found to be in utter turmoil after the death of Eli’s entire family. The last-standing member, Eli’s newborn grandchild, is named “Ichabod,” meaning “the glory has departed.” This is a direct reflection of the Israel at the time. They were weak. They had just lost in battle to the Philistines, and were currently without a leader. Moreover, the one thing (the ark) they treasured as their protection and strength was captured by their enemy.

The Israelites loved God and wanted to serve Him, so why is it that His glory seemed to have left them? In Samuel 7:3, Samuel gets to the heart of the issue. He declares to the nation, “If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” Reading this with modern eyes, I think, “Wow. How could the Israelites have been so ignorant (for 20 years, might I add) of the fact that in order to whole-heartedly serve the Lord, they needed to get rid of other idols?” However, the half-hearted Christianity of the Israelites is not far off from the behavior of you and I in the 21^st century. We tend to fit God into the areas of life where it’s comfortable and makes sense, but the places many falter are in the parts of life that don’t necessarily fit the mold for Christ.

Israel had to learn that God isn’t just an ingredient to life. He is the source, the recipe, and it’s impossible to truly serve Him without surrendering all of our idols.  In the same sense, we can’t truly serve God if we don’t let go of what takes priority over Him. 

I challenge you to identify the things in your life that may be competing for your attention. It’s not easy to surrender things that we value, but it’s so important that they never outweigh God’s value in our lives. The Israelites found themselves to be slaves to their idols, burdened by an absence of glory. It was not until they made Jesus their One and Only that the glory was restored. Therefore, let go of your idols, and let God bring His glory to your life.

Written by: Tamara Sturdivant

Edited by: Jenelle Kelly