Authentic trust

1 Samuel 4

In their battle against the Philistines as recorded in 1 Samuel 4, the Israelites tried to use the ark of the covenant in desperation as a sort of God-prop—to solicit God’s blessing and to intimidate and threaten their rivals—rather than authentically trusting and following Him with all their hearts. Among these Israelites were the two infamous sons of Eli the high priest—sons who were regarded as “scoundrels; they had no regard for the LORD” (1 Samuel 2:12). This challenges me to consider the ways we, as the Church, seek to use notions, images, and perhaps even the language of Christ and the Cross as props in our world—creating an illusion of righteousness and holiness while failing to truly seek, trust, and follow Him with all that we are.

The greatest invitation upon our lives is to surrender all that we are to all that God is. This involves nothing less than letting go of what we claim as our own, submitting to an Authority and Power beyond ourselves, and trusting in the One we can see only through eyes of faith.

God sees through our attempts to use or serve Him insincerely, and yet He comes to us as Savior and Lord—roles in our lives that He not only welcomes but desires for our truest good.

 ~em

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