Putting Trust In The Wrong Things

It is Monday morning and I'm still a bit in that fog after a tough workout to start the week. My eyes are still glazed over and the coffee has not quite kicked in as I write this. Then I remembered my Bible reading this morning (yes, I'm going to preach a little bit this morning and I do not apologize for that). 1 Samuel 5-7 was the focus this morning as the Philistines overtook Israel and stole the Ark of the Covenant from them.  

As you read these passages in the very beginning they were excited to add this to the temple of their god, Dagon, until God himself destroyed that statue 2 times, so they moved it and each time the God showed up and brought turmoil to them. For 20 years, the ark moved, continuing to bring havoc to the lands where it did not belong.

Finally, in Chapter 7, you find that Israel, instead of repenting from their sin that caused the problem in the first place, had turned themselves to other gods.  When they finally let go of them, the ark was returned to them.

The interesting premise of these chapters is that everything revolves around the location of the ark. While yes, the ark is an important part of Israel's history, the problem is not in the ark itself, but in that fact, the people put their trust and worship in it, rather than God. Each location the focus was never on God, but the ark.  

As I sat here this morning, I could not help but think...  What are you putting your trust in? Is it your job? Your paycheck? Your savings? Your retirement? Your skills? Your knowledge? Your friends? What is it?

There is only one place I will put my trust, but I will say this, my actions do not always show that.  It is no doubt one of the hardest things to do is just let go and let God work.  I can tell you from history, from my life, there is only one place that proves worthy to put my trust.   We are not perfect, but we should strive to let God take control and lead us. It does not mean we just sit like a passenger in the car, but it does me, we stay close to him, follow his lead, and take the necessary steps he is calling us to take.