[One-Verse Meditation]

1 Samuel 7:3 (NIV) And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

[Meditation]

The joy of the ark’s return was brief. The people of Beth Shemesh met with disaster for treating God’s holiness carelessly. By looking inside the ark, they showed they were walking the same path of sin symbolized by the items held within it—the second tablets of the law, the pot of manna, and Aaron’s staff. Eventually, the ark is moved to Kiriath Jearim, and Israel endures a long, 20-year period of silence.

Between the lines of this silence lies the miserable situation of Israel under Philistine oppression. (The Philistines, with their Iron Age culture, were a constant object of great fear for Israel, which was still in the Bronze Age). Only then does Israel finally begin to “mourn and seek after the LORD.”

At that very moment, the man of God, Samuel, cries out to Israel: “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only.” In response, Israel removed the Baals and Ashtoreths and served only the LORD. This is what the Bible shows as ‘repentance.’ Repentance does not stop at simply confessing one’s wrongs. Repentance is the turning back to God that begins with that confession. It is to be with God, to enjoy His life within Him. Therefore, repentance is another expression of faith.

Today, the Lord speaks to us as well.

‘Remove all the idols within you. And give me your heart. Then I will fill you with my heart.’

Come to think of it, repentance is the daily life of a saint, for it is a daily walk back to the Lord.

[Prayer]

Lord, show me how futile all the things I trust and rely on are. In that way, please tear down the idols in my heart. And fill that place with a new heart that longs only for You. I pray that today may be a day that starts with a new heart. Amen.
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[Daily Meditation]

1 Samuel 6:17-7:9