Quiet Time Ramblings:
Picking up in 1 Samuel 7 verse 4:
It says, “So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.”
Just like that huh? They just decided, “Oh, Samuel – you’re right.” And dropped their idols… just like that. Was there not a fight or a war within their souls? Fleeing temptations and fleeing worldly idols is HARD stuff. It’s not easy to break away… it’s not easy to let go of earthly things that we hold so dear. However, often times I have found that when I obey the Lord and release them, it’s not as hard as I anticipated it being. Is it a constant battle? YES. Is it totally worth it? YES!
Sometimes letting go is rough. It hurts, in fact… but the reward God bestows cannot even compare to the pain ... It is worth every single moment – to let go of the things we once found so dear & to rest in the knowledge that HIS grace is enough. The grace of God and the power of Jesus is so incredibly freeing. Giving up idols and letting go is worth every tear, worth every heartache and pain. Does this mean we say, “Oh geez, thanks God” and start the process over again so that God can free us yet again? We all know what Romans 6:1 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? BY NO MEANS!” NO!! Yes letting go of idols is incredibly freeing & the grace Christ lavishes upon us is beyond words, but the pain that we experience… the tears we shed… how great would it be if we could stop that process all together! STOP THE SIN. STOP THE IDOLS before they ever start. Nip it in the bud.
God has taught me some pretty hard lessons through sin in my life. I have even learned things about the characteristics of God that I might not have ever known without my sin – but there’s a different way to learn these things… A way that is far less painful ! That is to TRUST in the Word of God. GOD KNOWS WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT. There is a reason he tell us not to make idols and to guard our hearts and to flee… he’s not making this stuff up. God is so capable of healing even the most broken of people. I have seen him do it and can testify that HE is great… but why go there if we don’t have to? We don’t have to… you know. Christ freed us from the grip of the chains. We are no longer slaves to our sin. We are free. So lets do as the Israelites did in this verse and put away our idols… and serve the Lord only. This verse makes it sound so easy for them – and maybe it was – or maybe Samuel chose to not disclose the details. Either way – God can help us let go. All you have to do is ask…
If you read the next few verses you see that the Israelites repented of their sins, Samuel cried out to the Lord during battle... and the most beautiful verse occurs, "and the Lord answered him..." God thundered with loud thunder & threw the Philistines into a panic which ultimately led to their demise. Samuel later set a stone and named it Ebenezer because the Lord helped them. This reminds me of a beautiful verse I found in Psalm a few months ago... it is actually a headline on my blog.
Ps 81:7 "When you were in trouble, you called and I saved you, I answered you with thunder."
AAAH that verse blows me away EVERY single time I read it. There was a time in my life where I was in trouble... where I needed God's help in a major way.. and HE ANSWERED ME! He didnt just answer my cries in a small way - he answered it in a very very large God sized way.. He answered me with thunder. He shook my world & turned it upsidedown....
God hears our cries for help.... and He answers with thunder... Listen...
Can you hear it?
It says, “So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.”
Just like that huh? They just decided, “Oh, Samuel – you’re right.” And dropped their idols… just like that. Was there not a fight or a war within their souls? Fleeing temptations and fleeing worldly idols is HARD stuff. It’s not easy to break away… it’s not easy to let go of earthly things that we hold so dear. However, often times I have found that when I obey the Lord and release them, it’s not as hard as I anticipated it being. Is it a constant battle? YES. Is it totally worth it? YES!
Sometimes letting go is rough. It hurts, in fact… but the reward God bestows cannot even compare to the pain ... It is worth every single moment – to let go of the things we once found so dear & to rest in the knowledge that HIS grace is enough. The grace of God and the power of Jesus is so incredibly freeing. Giving up idols and letting go is worth every tear, worth every heartache and pain. Does this mean we say, “Oh geez, thanks God” and start the process over again so that God can free us yet again? We all know what Romans 6:1 says, “What shall we say then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? BY NO MEANS!” NO!! Yes letting go of idols is incredibly freeing & the grace Christ lavishes upon us is beyond words, but the pain that we experience… the tears we shed… how great would it be if we could stop that process all together! STOP THE SIN. STOP THE IDOLS before they ever start. Nip it in the bud.
God has taught me some pretty hard lessons through sin in my life. I have even learned things about the characteristics of God that I might not have ever known without my sin – but there’s a different way to learn these things… A way that is far less painful ! That is to TRUST in the Word of God. GOD KNOWS WHAT HE’S TALKING ABOUT. There is a reason he tell us not to make idols and to guard our hearts and to flee… he’s not making this stuff up. God is so capable of healing even the most broken of people. I have seen him do it and can testify that HE is great… but why go there if we don’t have to? We don’t have to… you know. Christ freed us from the grip of the chains. We are no longer slaves to our sin. We are free. So lets do as the Israelites did in this verse and put away our idols… and serve the Lord only. This verse makes it sound so easy for them – and maybe it was – or maybe Samuel chose to not disclose the details. Either way – God can help us let go. All you have to do is ask…
If you read the next few verses you see that the Israelites repented of their sins, Samuel cried out to the Lord during battle... and the most beautiful verse occurs, "and the Lord answered him..." God thundered with loud thunder & threw the Philistines into a panic which ultimately led to their demise. Samuel later set a stone and named it Ebenezer because the Lord helped them. This reminds me of a beautiful verse I found in Psalm a few months ago... it is actually a headline on my blog.
Ps 81:7 "When you were in trouble, you called and I saved you, I answered you with thunder."
AAAH that verse blows me away EVERY single time I read it. There was a time in my life where I was in trouble... where I needed God's help in a major way.. and HE ANSWERED ME! He didnt just answer my cries in a small way - he answered it in a very very large God sized way.. He answered me with thunder. He shook my world & turned it upsidedown....
God hears our cries for help.... and He answers with thunder... Listen...
Can you hear it?
Oh Ashley,
ReplyDeleteHow awsome it is to read of your victory in Jesus! Thanks for sharing. You are so special to us!
Love you guys much,
Opal and Bobby