I Samuel 7:3
‘Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the LORD and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”’
The Lord will have His way. Twenty years earlier, the Israelites were interested in Him, but on their terms. In their pursuit of God, they opened the Ark and peered in. Many were struck down. They had forgotten His holiness and the protocol of how the Ark is to be approached. In response to this they hid it away on someone’s property for the next twenty years. In time, they missed God and sought Him once more on His terms (today’s passage).
God was patient with them. He didn’t change His requirements, but slowly drew them over the decades until they were ready. We see this in 2 Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
The same is true in the present day. We all have a yearning for God, if we know it or not. We seek to fill that need in a multitude of ways. Some do it through religious means, others not.
The song from the Billy Graham crusades had the chorus “come as you are”. That is true. We don’t need to clean ourselves up. However, once we are His, the sanctification process begins. As we read the bible, we learn of unloving attitudes and behaviors that He wants to transform.
What happens when we resist changes? That was the situation in today’s verse. They were in a state of opposition to God. I Thessalonians 5:19 says, “Do not quench the Spirit”. When we ignore His voice, we are extinguishing the Spirit. Romans 8:16 says, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God”. This connection with the Lord is peaceful, warm and an ever present reminder that He is with us. That peace can get us through the darkest of trials. When we quench the Spirit this connection fades. Something more precious than gold is lost.
The Israelites were there. They wanted that wonderful connection back. This time they were ready to go God’s way. The prodigal son came to the same conclusion and returned.
Lord, thank You for Your patience. Thank You for drawing us. Thank You for the blessing of Your presence.