January 24, 2023

DELIVERY

1 Samuel 7:3

Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the Lord with all your hearts, if you put away the foreign gods and the sacred groves from among you, and if you prepare your hearts for the Lord and serve Him alone, He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”

Personal Challenge

We all need to examine our lives on a regular basis to see what we are in need of delivery from. Sometimes it is a besetting sin in our lives. Sometimes it is the burden of all the stuff, the material wealth, the prideful accomplishments, any number of temporal things that weigh us down. Sometimes it is just ourselves, out pride, arrogance, and independence. Whatever the case, Samuel has given us a formula for deliverance by our Lord. Return to Him. Put away these foreign gods that have taken ownership over us. Prepare our hearts for the Lord. And finally, serve Him. We need God much more than He needs us. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on my the sinner!