“Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.” DEUTERONOMY 31:6

Using God as a Good Luck Charm 1 Sam 4:1-11

The Israelites had fought with the Philistines on and off ever since they entered the Promised Land (and would continue to do so for decades). But in this particularly sad episode (1 Sam 4:1-11), God’s people thought they could use one of the holy articles from the Tabernacle to give them special power. They were right about one thing: God’s presence accompanied the Ark of the Covenant. In a symbolic way, God “sat” between the cherubim over this holy chest (Exod 25:22). “If we carry it into battle with us, it will save us from our enemies,” they said (1 Sam 4:3).

It’s an easy temptation for us to embrace too. “If I act this way” or “if I do this thing” God will surely bless me or my loved one with healing and give us victory over disease and disability. But we learn from this episode that God is not a “good luck charm.” As the Lord said through the prophet Isaiah, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts. . . . And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine” (Isa 55:8). When God adopts us as his children, there is no particular act we can do or posture we can take that will make him love us more, and there is no failure that can make him love us less. His love is complete and unwavering.

Let us learn from Israel’s devastating defeat that God’s power does not rest in holy things. He cannot be trifled with or manipulated to get what we want. Rather, God rewards those who follow his instructions: “Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength” (Isa 30:15). When faced with life’s battles, we need only to trust that God is with us because he has promised to be with his people. No good luck charms necessary!