King James Daily Bible Study Devotional
Message Title: Where Is The Power of God?
Date: Thursday March 22, 2012
Today's Chapters: 1 Samuel 4-7

Hello My Friend,

The “Ark of God” or the “Ark of the Covenant” was a wooden box that contained a very precious jewel, the Word of God, actually in contained the two tablets of stone where God wrote the ten commandments with His own finger. Just by getting around God's Word you can feel God's power, but without God's power in you it is just an ordinary book. I love these chapters because they remind me that God's power does not come from some words on a page, it comes from Him who gives life to those words. “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.” - John 6:63.

When God spoke to Samuel for the first time I am sure that he did not quite understand what was going on, but would soon find out when Philistine decided to go battle with Israel. During the battle the Israelites came up with this ridiculous plan to take the Ark of God and place it in the midst of them as if that was going to run off the Philistines in fear. Oh, they were afraid, but that made them fight even harder, the result, Israel was defeated, the Philistines took the Ark, and just as God told Eli and Samuel, both of Eli's sons died in the same day.

“And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies. So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God. And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again...And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.” - 1 Samuel 4:3-5,10,11.

The Israelites foolishly put their faith in the Ark, instead of God Himself. Although the Ark held the Word of God, it was not the ark itself that held the power, it was God. The Bible is worthless in our hands if we do not have the Spirit of God upon us. Unless we are saved, by faith, and the Spirit of God be in us we will never know the power of God. Hophni and Phinehas are examples of those who are brought up religious, but never received the the Spirit of God upon them because they followed false gods, only expecting God to show up when they were in trouble. God will show up, but only if they simply called in Him, Jesus Christ, that is. “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” -Romans 10:9,10.

Now, take the true Word of God and mix it in with false religion and see what happens. The Philistines, now in possession of the Ark, had this idea that because they had Israels God they would be blessed more, after all they thought their god helped them defeat Israel. However, they got the surprise of their lives when they placed the Ark next to their idol and god, Dagon. Dagon was a statue with the upper body of a woman and lower body of a fish, who they idolized and galled their god. “When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again. And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day. But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.” - 1 Samuel 5:2-6.

I laugh every time I read this chapter, God has such a sense of humor sometimes, here are the Philistines passing the Ark from one place to another and every where they placed it something bad happened. The Philistines knew that the Almighty God truly existed and they were so scared that it cursed them, they thought of everything they could to get rid of Him, even paid Israel to take the Ark back. This is the exact same reason false religions starts, they know that something they are doing goes against God's Word so, they do anything they can to get rid of the Almighty and replace Him with a god that would allow them to do it. However, changing God in the image that they want Him to be never changes God, He still is the same as He was then, now, and will be the same for eternity. “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.” - Hebrews 13:8,9.

After the Israelites got the Ark back in their possession Samuel spoke to them, it was time for them to get right with God if they wanted peace with the Philistines. “And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines. Then the children of Israel did put away Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only. And Samuel said, Gather all Israel to Mizpeh, and I will pray for you unto the LORD. And they gathered together to Mizpeh, and drew water, and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, We have sinned against the LORD. And Samuel judged the children of Israel in Mizpeh..And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.” - I Samuel 7:3-6,14,15.

This is a message to those who are saved and have chosen to follow false religion or quit God all together, return to God with all your heart, remove the strange gods, serve only Him and He will deliver you out of your troubles. Let's face it, we all make foolish decisions sometimes, we all do things we wish we could take back, but instead of being bitter or ashamed about it, instead of hiding from God, which we cannot do anyway, take it to God. What we think is foolishness is wisdom to God because it teaches us and grows us into the people God wants us to be. “Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty;” -1 Corinthians 1:25-27.

Today's Psalm: 12:6 - “The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.”

Today's Proverb: 5:21 - “For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.”

Today's Prayer: God, There is nothing more exciting to see Your power come pushing through the most unbelievable things, but is also comes through the little things we do every day. It can be easy to lose sight of Your power as every day life seems to get more and more of my attention and less of Yours. Lord, give me Your power, keep me in Your Word, keep me in the joy of Your presence as I not only read Your Word, but follow it. Help me to understand the things I am not sure about and to seek Your guidance to make the right decisions in all that I do. Open my heart, reveal anything that keeps me from giving myself to You wholeheartedly and show me what I need to do to overcome them. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Enjoy the rest of your day/night.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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