How Simple Is That?

So the men of Kiriath-jearim came to get the Ark of the LORD. They took it to the hillside home of Abinadab and ordained Eleazar, his son, to be in charge of it. The Ark remained in Kiriath-jearim for a long time—twenty years in all. During that time all Israel mourned because it seemed the LORD had abandoned them. Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “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.” So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD. Then Samuel told them, “Gather all of Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray to the LORD for you.” So they gathered at Mizpah and, in a great ceremony, drew water from a well and poured it out before the LORD. They also went without food all day and confessed that they had sinned against the LORD. (It was at Mizpah that Samuel became Israel’s judge.) [1 Samuel 7.1-6]

The Ark was returned to Israel but still there was trouble. Samuel laid out a plan to remedy their troubles. It was a simple plan. It was to turn away from their wickedness and repent.

How simple is that?

While it seems simple, turning wholeheartedly to God indeed requires a couple of action items. 1) Get rid of the things that replace or distract from God, and, 2) (pretty much the same) turn to God alone. Within the context of these action items, we see very clearly two other action items: fasting and confession of sin.

So, while the remedy may be simple, it is not one easily accomplished. People just don't give up their gods easily. Many times, 'reasoning' comes into play and people make their own decision what is a "god" to them and what is not. The problem with this is that they don't use the right qualifier to determine what is a god to them. That qualifier is this: "Does this thing in my life take more precedence, attention, and time than God? You see, this question would have us calling all sorts of things 'gods' wouldn't it? It would have us calling as 'gods' our jobs, hobbies, possessions, families, and even churches.

I will say it here for all of us, "Ouch!"

Yes, we would all do well to consider what it is that distracts us from God. ANYTHING that distracts us from God needs to be put in its proper place. But this will not likely be accomplished except through fasting and confession of sin.

Now, will we proudly make our own determination what is a God-replacer in our life and what is not without fasting and confession? If so, then we can only expect more of the same in our lives (ie. the troubles resultant to disobedience - Deuteronomy 28).

Father, forgive me for making so many other things more important than You.