Thursday, July 3rd, 2025
Continuing on in the book of 1 Samuel today. It just amazes me how every time I read parts of the Bible that I have read many times before there is often something new that Holy Spirit highlights. This is what is meant by the phrase, living Word of God. The Bible isn’t just words on a page or a historical accounting of a bunch of people that are dead and long gone. It’s the living streams of the Holy Spirit, the ever powerful blood of Jesus and the grapevines of God’s love all woven together into an eternal life line that grows and yields fruit across every corner of our world.
The heartbeat of God continues to pump through every word and letter in this book and the One who was and is and is to come meets every single person that is brave enough to open the pages of this wild encounter. It has the power to give breath to the lifeless, heal the wounds that have no other path to wholeness and set free those bound by an unfathomable darkness. Every time we open its pages, we are fanning the flames of the Holy Ghost fire that burns inside of us. We are telling the world to take a knee as we ascend to the holy, secret place with our Heavenly Father. Nothing on earth is as rich or powerful as this perfectly composed heavenly concert. The powers of darkness have no seat at this orchestra. They run for the door every time the Bible’s tune is strung.
And that brings me to today’s blog. In 1 Samuel 5, we see what happens when the ark of God (which symbolizes the presence of God) is left in an unholy place. Let’s look at 1 Samuel 5: 7, 9, and 11:
7 …“The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for His hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our god.”
9 So it was, after they had carried it away, that the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction…
11 …For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.
Darkness literally cannot exist in the presence of God. His justice and His power go out on assignment against anything that opposes them. Again, this isn’t just a historical accounting of a cool event. It’s a symbol for us of what happens when we open the Word of God and invite Him into our lives and our circumstances. Our faith in His character and His inherent power meld into a force that is greater than any other force that exists. The laws of physics, gravity, death and darkness will all bow when He instructs them to.
Final Thoughts…
It feels like a good time to remind our souls of the power of the Word and Presence of God. It’s not just something reserved for the “thems” and “those” who have reached some spiritual pinnacle. It’s something available to all of us in whatever miry pit, deserted island or damp, dark jail cell we find ourselves in. When God’s presence is allowed to break in, things change. The how-it-has-always been river finds a brand-new flow. The walls of cursing and confinement crumble into non-existence. The mirror of broken identity reflects a majestic, glorified image. Invite God’s presence into every area of your life and watch the darkness tremble and flee.