It

In I Samuel chapter 4 there is an interesting story. Really a sad story. The people of God were facing their familiar foe the Philistines. As the battle continued, the Philistines were getting the upper hand. Suddenly someone from the Israelite camp noticed they had forgotten to bring the ark of the covenant into battle with them. 

The ark of the covenant was much more than a piece of furniture to decorate the Tabernacle. It represented the living real presence of God. God said He would dwell between the wings of the Cherubim covering the ark. For what happened I need to quote the text. 

When the people came into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why has the LORD defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us take to ourselves from Shiloh the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that it may come among us and deliver us from the power of our enemies." [I Sam 4:3]

Did you catch it? Did you notice the error? The people said, "Let us take the ark of the covenant...that It ... deliver us." Not Him. It. Not the LORD. It as in the ark of the covenant. Not Yahweh. The rectangular piece of furniture in the holy of holies. Not Him. It. 

What happened? God let the Israelites be defeated, but He also allowed the ark of the covenant to be captured. The very good luck charm they leaned on instead of God was snatched from their possession. We do the same thing. We wear crosses like good luck charms on jewelry. We decorate our walls with little crosses thinking that will please the Lord and protect us from suffering. We trust in our Bibles more than the author of the Bible. It instead of Him. 

How easy it is to substitute the symbols of God for God. To use faith as a crutch instead of leaning on God as our support. To substitute religious activity instead of relying on the relationship of God rather than religious busyness. We confuse worship for worth ship found only in God. Sermons supplant seeking God for ourselves. It instead of Him. 

I urge you today to slow down. To check the blind spots in your life and to see if there is any place where you trust IT and not HIM. IT will not suffice. IT is a cheap substitute for the real thing. HE is our all in all. He is our true hope. Our strength and deliverance. Not IT but HIM.