-Devotion by Brian Froehlich (IL) – Brian has been writing devotions on his facebook page this year as he reads along with a chronological Bible reading plan. Great job sharing God’s Word, Brian! Today’s devotion covers 1 Samuel 4-8.
I believe God is not something we carry. He is Someone we follow.
And in 1 Samuel 4–8, Israel had to learn that the hard way.
In 1 Samuel 4, Israel goes into battle against the Philistines—and they lose.
Instead of asking, “Why did this happen?” or “Are we right with God?” they ask, “What can we bring into battle next time?”
So they come up with a plan.
“Let’s bring the ark of the covenant.”
Not to worship. Not to repent. Not to seek God. Just… bring the box.
They treated the ark like a good luck charm.
When the ark shows up, Israel shouts so loudly the ground shakes. The Philistines hear it and panic: “God has come into the camp!”
But here’s the problem—God hadn’t.
They brought the symbol, but ignored the God behind it.
And the result? Israel loses again. Thirty thousand die. The ark is captured. Eli’s sons are killed. And a woman names her child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel.”
They had the object, but they lost the presence.
I believe this still happens today. People carry Bibles, wear crosses, sit in church pews—but they are not walking with God.
God is not a charm you carry. He is a King you follow.
In 1 Samuel 5–6, the Philistines take the ark and place it in the temple of their god Dagon.
The next morning, Dagon is face down before the ark.
They set him back up.
The next morning, he has fallen again—this time his head and hands are broken off.
God didn’t need Israel to defend Him. He handled it Himself.
Then tumors break out among the people. Panic spreads from city to city. They finally say, “Send it back!”
They put the ark on a cart with two cows and say, “If this goes back to Israel, we’ll know it was God.”
It goes straight back.
Because God does not need help proving He is God.
I believe we forget this. We argue like God is fragile. We panic like truth is losing.
God is not on trial. He is still on the throne.
Then in 1 Samuel 6, the ark returns to Israel. The people rejoice.
But then something sobering happens.
Some men look into the ark—and they die.
There is something in us that wants to look.
Even when we know we shouldn’t, we want to see.
It reminds me of what happened after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
When he died in 1865, his body was placed on a funeral train that traveled across the country. In city after city, thousands of people lined up. They waited for hours—sometimes all night—just for a few seconds to look at his face.
Not touch. Not speak. Just look.
But it didn’t stop there.
After he was buried, his body was moved multiple times. Reburied. Relocated for security. There was even an attempted grave robbery.
And over the years, his casket was opened again and again.
Not once. Not twice. Multiple times.
Each time—people looking. Checking. Confirming. Curious.
The last time was in 1901. More than 35 years after his death, they opened it again just to make sure he was still there.
A teenage boy named Fleetwood Lindley was allowed to step forward and look inside. He later said Lincoln’s face was still recognizable.
And that boy lived until 1963.
Think about that.
For nearly 100 years after Lincoln died, someone could still say, “I saw him.”
There is something deep in human nature that doesn’t just want to hear—we want to see for ourselves.
And that same instinct shows up in 1 Samuel.
The ark wasn’t just a box. It represented the presence of God.
And the people thought, “What’s inside? Let me just look. Just a quick peek.”
But God had already made it clear—this is not something you handle casually.
This is not something you open out of curiosity.
Because what starts as curiosity quickly becomes irreverence.
And irreverence in the presence of a holy God is deadly.
Not everything sacred is meant to be opened.
In 1 Samuel 7, the people finally ask the right question: “Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?”
And Samuel gives the right answer: “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods.”
Repentance—not rituals.
They gather. They fast. They confess, “We have sinned against the Lord.”
And when the Philistines come again, this time God thunders from heaven and throws them into confusion.
Israel wins.
Samuel sets up a stone and calls it Ebenezer—“Thus far the Lord has helped us.”
Notice the difference.
Before, they carried the ark into battle.
Now, they come to God in repentance.
Before, they tried to use God.
Now, they submit to Him.
And that changes everything.
I believe victory doesn’t come from having God near you. It comes from being right with Him.
Then in 1 Samuel 8, the people come to Samuel and say, “Give us a king.”
Why?
“So we can be like all the other nations.”
God tells Samuel, “It is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”
They didn’t want “no king.”
They wanted a king they could see. Control. Be like everyone else.
Samuel warns them—a king will take your sons, your daughters, your fields, your money.
And they say, “We still want a king.”
I believe this is still true.
People say they want freedom. They say they want no king. But they don’t.
They just want a king they can manage.
But God does not compete with other kings.
He calls you to surrender to Him.
I believe God is not a tool to use. God is not weak and in need of defense. God is holy—not casual. And God alone is worthy to be King.
So the question is not, “Do you have God with you?”
The question is: Are you with Him?
Because you can carry the ark and still lose the battle.
But if you return to Him with all your heart, you will find that He was never lost at all.
Reflection Questions
- It’s hard to get the right answers when you ask the wrong questions. What wrong questions do people ask today? When have you found yourself asking the wrong questions? What are better questions to ask?
- Is there a time when your lack of repentance got you into deeper trouble? What happens when you repent? Is there something you need to repent of right now?
- What or who do you want to be the leader of your life? Do your actions andd attitudes agree with the answer you gave? What does submitting to God look like?
- How has God helped you thus far? How will you remember these things?
Prayer
Dear God, You are a holy, righteous God, maker of heaven and earth, the only true God, the One who sits on the throne today with your Son at Your right hand. How amazing that the King of the Universe wants to have a relationship with me! Help me to not take You for granted, God, or treat You irreverently. Help me see clearly what I need to repent of, that I will repent, submit and be right with You.
Seek Grow Love 