Saturday, April 26: 1Samuel 7- First step, repentance.

This chapter has the flavor of Judges. For 20 years Israel is under the thumb of the Philistines. Israel mourns and seeks the Lord. Samuel, the prophet, and serving much like one of the judges, calls all Israel to “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”

Cleansing their life before the Lord was the first step in returning and God’s deliverance.

I thought, “Some things don’t change.” Even for me today, being honest before God, evaluating my life against God’s Word, and the confession and repentance this process generally brings is a necessary step if I want to stay connected with God.

The week after Easter is often a crash week for me. Exhaustion and fatigue dominate and I can become lazy in my walk with Jesus.

As a new Lord’s Day looms tomorrow, spending time today in personal faith-evaluation seems like the perfect preparation for worship tomorrow.

Will you join me??

Lord, meet me in these moments and help me look at my life in light of Your will and way. Show me where I am off the mark and restore my life to Your rightful compass heading.

Lord, I pray, too, that You would infuse me with energy and strength. Please, Lord, help me regain my spiritual rhythm and balance after the heavy load from the last weeks. This I pray through Jesus, my Lord. Amen.