Stop and Ask

Certain people do not like to ask directions when they go places. They think they can rely on their sense of direction and knowledge to get them where they want to go. Often, the case is that someone must take out their phone and look up an address or stop and ask for directions because they can’t remember exactly how to get there. When we rely on our sense of direction, it can lead us somewhere wrong. The book of Judges states regarding the people of Israel that “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” (Judges 21:25) They were using their direction. In 1 Samuel 4-5, we see this same group of people using their thought and direction. In chapter 4, the text says Israel went out to meet the Philistines in battle. Very shortly in the text, we see that the Philistines killed many Israelites, and the battle was a failure for the people of Israel. In verse 3, the Israelites attributed this loss to the LORD. In other texts, such as Joshua, we see that when the people of Israel did not obey the LORD, their battles were unsuccessful, such as the one at Ai. The elder of Israel decided that the solution was the ark of the covenant. The people said, “… it may come among us and save us from the power of our enemies.” (1 Sam. 4:3) They had likely heard the stories of past battles that were won with the ark leading the way and assumed that it was the ark that would make them successful when those past battles were won because the people were consulting the man speaking with God and listening to what God wanted them to do. Those people of the past stopped and asked God for direction. The people here assumed the ark had power and would save them but neglected the God whose power brought those of the past to victory. We must stop and ask for direction from the LORD because He is all-knowing and can give us the right path to follow.

Challenge

1.     The next decision you make, before you decide, pray and ask God for guidance in your decision

2.     See if someone in scripture had to make a similar decision and see what the text teaches you about what they did.