Respecting GOD’s Holiness

1 Samuel 6: ¹³ Now the people of Beth Shemesh were harvesting their wheat in the valley, and when they looked up and saw the ark, they rejoiced at the sight. 

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¹⁹ But God struck down some of the inhabitants of Beth Shemesh, putting seventy of them to death because they looked into the ark of the Lord. The people mourned because of the heavy blow the Lord had dealt them. ²⁰ And the people of Beth Shemesh asked, “Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God? To whom will the ark go up from here?”

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“I forgot my mitten” I said to myself and I started walking back to the choir stand. Someone saw my path and they yelled out to me in desperation “Don’t walk behind the pulpit!” Terrified, I changed my course and stayed away from that thing for fear of death!

I later challenged this belief.  I watched people bring glasses of water and other items and place them in the pulpit.  I took my chance and ran quickly behind the pulpit. Nothing. “These people are crazy with their old beliefs” I thought to myself.

• My doubt in GOD makes me blind.
• My lack of faith makes me try to prove GOD’s existence or nonexistence.
• My pitiful trust makes me test GOD to see if HE is there.

Instead of just believing I have asked GOD to show HIMSELF to me in a demanding deserving fashion. I mean, come on… invisibility? No speaking? Miracles only to certain people? So I stopped worshipping HIM and things went wrong. I handled the first few things as coincidence but then more and more things kept happening.

• GOD has placed obstacles in my way to get my attention.
• GOD has placed barriers in my path to get me to listen.
• GOD has placed trials in my direction to get me to focus on HIM.

The Israelites thought they had received a weapon back when in reality they had received GOD’s laws HE gave to Moses. This was supposed to be a sacred time rather than a time of rejoicing hatred and revenge. GOD does the same in my life.

HE never wants me to wish harm on one of HIS creatures nor does HE want me to put HIM to the test because of my lack of faith. GOD wants me to treat HIM as Holy rather than common.

• Are you treating GOD as common?
• Do you attend church as a thing you do weekly as a checklist item?
• Is GOD amazing to you or are you following?