Lasting Relief Over Temporary Solutions | 1 Samuel 6:3-9

Do you want temporary relief or lasting relief?

Welcome to the Daily Devo. I am Vince Miller.

This week, we are reading 1 Samuel 6. I've titled this chapter "From Confusion to Clarity."

In chapter 6, the Philistines have had enough of the Ark of God. Since capturing the Ark seven months ago, they have been tortured with the Black Plague and severe hemorrhoids. Next, they will devise a plan for how to send it back. Since they know it's a divine box, they petition their pagan priests to devise the plan, and here's what they decide to do in verses 3-9:

They said, “If you send away the ark of the God of Israel, do not send it empty, but by all means return him a guilt offering. Then you will be healed, and it will be known to you why his hand does not turn away from you.” And they said, “What is the guilt offering that we shall return to him?” They answered, “Five golden tumors and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines, for the same plague was on all of you and on your lords. So you must make images of your tumors and images of your mice that ravage the land, and give glory to the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from off you and your gods and your land. Why should you harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? After he had dealt severely with them, did they not send the people away, and they departed? Now then, take and prepare a new cart and two milk cows on which there has never come a yoke, and yoke the cows to the cart, but take their calves home, away from them. And take the ark of the Lord and place it on the cart and put in a box at its side the figures of gold, which you are returning to him as a guilt offering. Then send it off and let it go its way and watch. If it goes up on the way to its own land, to Beth-shemesh, then it is he who has done us this great harm, but if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that struck us; it happened to us by coincidence.” — 1 Samuel 6:3-9

When men are desperate, they will try almost anything and everything, won't they?

But here is what is fascinating about the Philistine response. While desperate for relief, all they want is immediate relief of God. They are tired of being tormented and even believe God is tormenting them. They want God to stop, yet they are still not ready to submit their lives to God. They would prefer to rid themselves of God and his torment and return to life as it was without the Ark rather than submit their lives to God.

This is how mankind tends to behave. When we are desperate and things are out of control, we want to get them back under our control.

But before we get too judgmental, let's turn the application of this text toward a believer.

When our lives are out of control, we may initially petition God. But if we were honest, most of us petition God to regain the control we feel we have lost. In behaving this way, we act pretty much like the Philistines do here. The Philistines just wanted to be relieved of God, and we only want God's relief. One is self-centered, and the other is self-righteous, yet both are selfish and sinful. What we want is similar even though it might have a religious appearance. We ask God for our will, assuming our will is his will, and thus, miss the opportunity to submit our will and find lasting relief. The Philistines weren't afraid to admit this because all they wanted was to be relieved of God, not submission to God.

So, how about you? Are you desperate for relief today?

If so, instead of seeking to regain control and pretending to pray God's will, why not submit your will to God?

Here is my prayer for you today:

God, I need relief. There are many things I could pray for right now, and there are many ways you could provide relief. But instead of asking you to do my will in this situation, I submit my will to you and ask you to do only your will until I fully surrender to all of your will. Amen.

#SeekingGodsWill, #SurrenderingToGod, #FindingLastingRelief

Ask This:

How often do you find yourself seeking relief from God rather than seeking His will in challenging circumstances?

What steps can you take today to more fully surrender your will to God, trusting His plans over your own desires?

Do This:

Submit your will and find relief.

Pray This:

Lord, in my desperation for relief, help me surrender my will completely to Yours, trusting Your plans and finding lasting peace in Your presence. Amen.

Play This:

Peace Be Still.