Day 127: What Saves Us?

Acts 28:1-15; 1 Samuel 4-5; Psalm 52

The situation with the sacred chest in battle is sort of sad.  The people expected God to come through for them and he doesn't.  Why not?  Because they thought it was the physical box and tablets that would save them, not the God who wrote the tablets and filled the box.  It was the item, not the Creator, that they believed in.  I think that happens a lot in today's society; we believe in the physical thing rather than the one who made that physical thing, the one who actually deserves our praise.  People worship money, thinking that having more will protect them.  People honor significant others (or future spouses), believing that just having the right one will make their lives perfect.  And sometimes people even worship their church, thinking that it is so awesome and is the thing that saved them.  But money, people, promotions, friends, even church, can't save us.  Only God can, and that is what the Israelites forgot in this moment, and as a result, thousands of them were killed and the sacred chest was stolen.

Today's readings seem to be all about trusting in the one true Lord. When people in the scriptures don't, they lose, die, hurt, break, and are dragged around.  It is not pretty.  Just looking at the world around us, it is easy to see the people and the result of lives not lived for God and instead lived for pleasure and with selfishness.  We have to be honest with ourselves:  is there anything in our lives that separates us from The Lord?  Are there things that we are putting before him?  Are we using God as a weapon, rather than using him as our Savior?  Are we expecting God to simply save us from troubles, rather than trusting him to lead us through them?  I hope and pray that The Lord can be your rock, your constant friend, your Lord and Savior.