September 7th 

“…Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD here from Shiloh that it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.”

1 Samuel 4:3 ESV

Israel had suffered a massive defeat at the hands of their enemies, for God had abandoned them to their rebellious ways. But instead of returning to God and seeking His favour, they tried to recreate a success formula from the experiences of the previous generation. They wrongly assumed that carrying the ark of the covenant would give them victory like that of their forefathers at Jericho.

You cannot replace the need for God in your life with a formula that is based on the past experiences of others. Without the fellowship of God and without His favour, we cannot win our spiritual battles. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the powers of darkness. But when you are in the right with God, you can rest assure that He will deliver you no matter how powerful the enemy.