Reading today in 1 Samuel 4, the Word of God will be absorbed into our heart and set our mind ready so that goodness naturally flows outward much like water overflows from a waterfall. Our faith will be applied in activities that benefit our life at work, home, and in whatever we do as we collect knowledge from God’s Word.  

Many have wisdom but fail to produce any fruit. Not only is there a need to learn but a need to set God’s Plan for Us into motion. There needs to be a way to apply God’s plan by having a take-away from our daily readings.

For example: A take-away from today’s reading is to question our past so we can learn and make adjustments for the future. The actions of the elders were commendable because they were asking questions about their set-backs on the battlefield. They decided to bring the ark of the Lord to them and gain faith that God was with them.

This worked to some extent as the people were inspired and the enemy was intimidated. When the ark of the Lord’s covenant came into the camp, all Israel raised such a great shout that the ground shook (v. 5). The Philistines learned that the ark of the Lord had come into the Israelite camp and they were afraid (v. 7).

But as the Israelites learned, ceremonial observances of religion are not what is needed in order to win our battles. We need more than superstition to bring victory. In the days ahead, the Israelites would be defeated by the Philistines and the ark of God was captured. Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas died (v. 11).

Success on earth is never guaranteed but accepting Christ in our heart assures us of ultimate victory. We can then have composure to handle difficulties as we continually internalize the qualities of Christ in our heart. We then have a much better chance to fulfill our purpose here on earth because the spiritual and physical body is conditioned to carry out what God has inspired.

This day with You Lord, we feel the advantage building as we take on our battles. This advantage does not come from religion but by internalizing the qualities taught to us in Your Word that will be put into practice. Our heart and minds are aligned for action in doing amazing things for Your glory. Amen.