Mighty.

1 Samuel 5-8
“But when the citizens of Ashdod went to see it the next morning, Dagon had fallen with his face to the ground in front of the Ark of the Lord!” – 1 Samuel :3a
“Who is able to stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?” they cried out. – 1 Samuel 6
Why do I so often forget how powerful this God is – this God who I claim to serve and know and love deeply? This God who through Jesus I actually have the honor to stand in his presence and not be defeated, but uplifted? How can I not trust him when every knee will bow to him? I get so confused, so caught up in all my questions and doubts and mistakes and worries and stress. I am so worried about being wrong about who God is and not really knowing him that I end up viewing him as so much smaller than he is – because I forget he is bigger than my silly human reasoning. He is bigger than my thoughts and ways. It sounds so simple, and maybe it is. I get so caught up in feeling guilty for my ridiculous mistakes that I forget God is bigger than all of them could ever be. I forget that He believes in me, that He offers me a new life, that He promises his work with me will continue until my final breath. And sometimes I feel so guilty and stupid and sinful and ashamed and confused, that I forget that Jesus has truly enabled me to come into his presence. Even though I don’t deserve it and never will. Even though the moment may hold grief and guilt and confusion. Even though I come with nothing to offer of my own, even though I have turned my back. Jesus invites me in to the presence of the holy, perfect, living God. I am welcomed here. I am loved here. I am accepted for all that I am. Why is this so hard to believe?
Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you are really serious about wanting to return to the Lord, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Determine to obey only the Lord; then he will rescue you from the Philistines” -1 Samuel 7:3
Yet here is the good news. God will still take me back, just as he did the Israelites. Time and time again, they turned their back. They looked to God and promised their love, but then turned their eyes to anyone but him. Yet he took them back. His offer did not change. His love was and is bigger than any mistake we could ever make. We must return our eyes and actions to God alone. We must choose to obey only him – to keep our marriage vows we proclaimed so long ago. He is still faithful.