"SHARING HOPE THROUGH SCRIPTURE ABOUT, GOING FROM DEFEAT TO VICTORY"
1st Samuel 6:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.”
1st Samuel 6:4 So the children of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.
Some explanatory thoughts/application/questions, and a prayer:
The above verses come on the heels of a 20 year period where Israel was lamenting their sad condition. They were being beaten down by the Philistines, and would experiencing what you might call a "Spiritual Drought" All due to the way they had been living. Which was in direct disobedience to the Lord. They were suffering the consequences of their actions. But, the two verses above also tell us how God brought them out of defeat and into victory through His servant Samuel.
1. You can return to the Lord if You have been drifting or away from Him. 1st Samuel 6:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD. If you were to read backwards from 1st Sam 6, you would see the ungodly way God's people were living. They were not much different from the pagan nations around them. In fact, it would be more accurate to say they were living just like the pagans were. But, as we are going to see they did return to the Lord, and they did so through the counsel of Samuel, who was God's deliver to them. The following verses contain the counsel that Samuel gave the children of Israel. They show how they went from defeat to victory. And, if you are in defeat at this time, you also can come to victory.
2. You can return to the Lord with all of your heart. 1st Samuel 6:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, This was the first thing that Samuel told them. It had to do with their hearts and a one step process. Look what Samuel told them. “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts". So, two things here.
(1) Return to the LORD. This is speaking of repentance. The word means to turn, turn back, recover, come back.
Rom 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and long suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?
(2) With all your hearts. The idea here is "If you are really serious about wanting to return to the LORD" In other words, this meant a true, total, full on, commitment to the Lord. A complete and total heart consecration to the Lord. Not half heartedly, but fully. Ps 119:2 Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, Who seek Him with the whole heart! The words "whole heart" means the entirety of who you are, your complete inner man, your mind, your will, and your understanding.
3. You return to the Lord by putting away things that don't belong in your life. 1st Samuel 6:3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, As mentioned earlier, the people had begun living like the pagans around them. They had given themselves over to idolatry and perversion. Returning the LORD, repenting means, to put the things out of your life that do not belong in your life. If you are to return to the Lord, You must put away the things that God does not want you to have in your life.
Matt 3:8 “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
Acts 17:30 “Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
2Ch 7:14* 2nd Chronicles 7:14 “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
4. You return to the Lord by preparing your hearts for the Lord..
1st Samuel 6:3b and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” The idea here is that of determining to obey only the LORD. Then there is the promise that He will rescue you from your enemies. ( which they had been plagued by ) In their case, it was the Philistines, in our case, it can be our own fleshly nature, the ungodly world around us, and the enemies of our souls, the devil and his demons.
5. Your return to the LORD is a real possibility. It can be done. It was done by the children of Israel.
1st Samuel 6:4 So the Israelites destroyed their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the LORD.
The children of Israel acted upon the Word of God given them by Samuel. They were not just hearers, but doers also. And, that's God's prescription for You and I.
Some questions:
1. Would you say you are at this very time, living in defeat or in victory?
2. Have you in the past been brought from defeat to victory?
3. Can you see the principles above are the way to victory?
4. Is there anything you need to do ( if you are in defeat ) taken from these verses and do?
5. Would You thank the Lord today for His unfailing love for you, and that it's His goodness that leads you to repentance.
6. Do you know anyone whom you might be able to share this devotional with, that would be helped by it?
A prayer:
Father, Your Word never ceases to bless us. You correct us, You reprove us. You guide us, You instruct us, You help make us strong, You give us wisdom. And we see Your grace, love and mercy everywhere we look. Thank You for the truth of Your Word. You are the deliverer. We are the one's in need of what You alone can provide. Please help us to act upon it. In Jesus name, amen.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia.
