Good Luck or God?

 1 Samuel 3-5; Psalms 77; 2 Corinthians 8 

“When the soldiers returned to camp, the elders of Israel asked, ‘Why did the Lord bring defeat upon us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the Lords’ covenant from Shiloh, so that it may go with us and save us from the hand of our enemies.”

1 Samuel 4:3

The elders of Israel thought of the Ark of the Covenant as a good luck charm to ward off their enemies. Cultures around the world believe in superstitions in much the same way. However, the ark was a box with symbols, and it was the presence of the Lord above the ark that was significant. The presence of the Lord was predicated on Israel keeping the covenant. The Lord’s rebuke of Eli for the willful rebellion and blasphemy of his sons indicated that Israel had broken the covenant with the Lord

Do we believe that giving to the poor, attending church, and supporting missions will cause God to turn a blind eye toward our sin?

There is no good luck charm to ward off the effects of sin. We reap what we sow. The gospel’s good news is that, in Christ, God has taken the penalty for our sin, not so we can sin more, but so we can live wholeheartedly for him. God’s covenant in Christ is about relationship with him, not good luck in life.

“Lord Jesus, I value your presence, for your glory.”