The Israelites were getting defeated in battle. The Philistines were winning. They tried their own, religious-sounding, battle plan. It failed. Epic fail. Then they turned to Solomon, the prophet of God, and asked for direction. He told them the answer: worship the LORD alone. So, they did.
When we face problems in life, it is so easy to try to come up with our own game plan for fixing the problem. Even when our game plan sounds good, right, and Godly, we can be completely wrong. The only solution to our problems is God. We need to go to God. We need to ask God. We need to listen to God. We need to follow God. Only then will the problems be solved.
So the Philistines were subdued and they stopped invading Israel's territory. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines. The towns from Ekron to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites. (1 Samuel 7:13-14 NIV)
Once we follow God one time and experience victory, why stop there? We should start repeating this new pattern: Go, Ask, Listen, Follow. The more we do, the more we will walk with God, step by step, day by day, throughout this life and into the next.
The Israelites realized what had happened. God had given them victory. Samuel told them that He would. So, they turned to Samuel to teach them how to walk together with God.
Samuel continued as Israel's leader all the days of his life. From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel to Gilgal to Mizpah, judging Israel in all those places. But he always went back to Ramah, where his home was, and there he also held court for Israel. And he built an altar there to the LORD. (1 Samuel 7:15-17 NIV)
So, how about you? Have you experienced victory with God in the past? Do those victories encourage you to G.A.L.F. (Go, Ask, Listen, Follow) again and again? Do you keep following your King?
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