Scripture

Our verse for today comes from 1 Samuel 4:10-11, ” So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter, and there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. Also the ark of God was captured. ” 

Background

The Harlem Globetrotters are a worldwide-famous exhibition basketball team. They have combined skilled basketball with comedy and acting to entertain families for over three generations. Through the years, they have played more than 22,000 basketball games, and most of those games have been against a team called the Washington Generals. The Generals travel with the Globetrotters and play the stooge to the comedy and entertainment of the Globetrotters. However, on January 5, 1971, the unthinkable happened. The Generals beat the Globetrotters, ending their 2,495-game winning streak. The audience was shocked, and children left the arena crying. The Generals coach said the crowd looked at them as if they had killed Santa Claus. It would be another 8,829 games and 24 years later before the Globetrotters lost another game. And that is what was expected of the Globetrotters. They were supposed to entertain the audience and put a drubbing on the opposing team in the process. 

Application

And for the Israelites, they were not supposed to lose in battle, either. And in no way would they be defeated when the ark of God accompanied them. But here they were, battling their familiar foe, the Philistines, and the unthinkable is happening. They are losing at halftime, and so they go and get the ark to bring them victory. When they see the ark, the camp shouts so loudly that the earth shakes. But defeat still comes. Certain victory was replaced by disastrous defeat. Santa Claus was killed. And that is how they treated the ark, like a lucky charm or magic genie. And if we’re not careful, we can do the same to God in our lives. We can expect victory after victory just because we have always had victories in the past. We can get complacent in our devotion, saving time with Christ just for when the big things occur. We can fool ourselves into thinking that He’s somewhere that He’s not, that just carrying a Bible means we’re unbeatable. But don’t trust the past. Keep your faith active and growing. That faith belongs to Him, and it keeps you near Him. 

Charge

As we seek Him today, don’t let past successes spoil you into thinking you are more than you are. Ask God to keep your walk with Him fresh and near to His heart, and rely more on Him today than yesterday. 

Salvation – Eternal Life in Less Than 150 Words