DON’T LEAVE THE ALTAR (You have to read this)
“Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.” 1 Samuel 7:10
Prophet Samuel met the children of Israel at Mizpah to lead them to repentance and re-commitment to God. But their enemies, the Philistines heard about their gathering and went into battle with them. Neither the people of Israel nor Samuel the prophet prepared for such war, they didn’t gather at Mizpah for battle but for prayer, and here was a battle facing them without their weapons.
The Bible says, “Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel.” Can you imagine such situation? The Israelites were so scared that they had to hide behind Samuel, asking him to intensify his intercession for immediate intervention from God. And here is Prophet Samuel offering burnt offering on the altar to God, yet the armies of Philistine were drawing closer and closer with their weapons; Samuel stayed and continued making sacrifice, he did not run away for his life, he did not leave the altar.
As the Philistines came so close to Samuel and children of Israel, God intercepted and intervened! The Bible says, “But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.” 1 Samuel 7:10
Two things to learn and apply in this message:
DON’T LEAVE THE ALTAR OF YOUR SERVICE
At your time of devotion, when you are praying, reading or studying Bible, and your phone rings, you have urgent calls, someone needs your help or someone who wants to help you calls, do not leave the altar of the prayer or meditation, try to complete your devotion. God will take care of the situation and answer the calls for you more than you can while you are at the altar.
You know sometimes, while praying when my phone vibrates or rings, I may think, “It could be urgent call for my assistance” but the Spirit of God would calm me that what help can I give anyone without God helping the matter, and since I’m right at the altar with God, He will take care of the urgency. Sometimes, it could be customers who want to buy or pay while I’m praying, but I feel, “If God does not bring the sales I can sell nothing.” So I continue praying, and when I finish praying I return the calls. Sometimes, it could be maybe someone I have been waiting for his call for long time while I’m praying or an international call, yet if God does not do it, who will do it, why will I interrupt my call with God during prayer and put Him on hold because I want to answer human calls on my phone? What help can I receive without God or what help can I give without God?
You have a business, a store or a shop, and the Bible study time in the church is the rushing hour for your business, but you must go to the Bible study, God will replenish you more than those who stay selling for 24 hours. We should learn to stay focus in the service of God and let Him serve us with the best instead of following the worldly system that will reduce or distract us from God’s service. It’s not by power or human effort that leads to great success without stress in life.
DON’T LEAVE THE ALTAR OF YOUR SACRIFICE
Are you in the service of God, making every effort for the kingdom of God as you offer all your best and sacrificing all but challenges and difficulties are increasing? In fact, maybe you have heard that there is a tornado of ministerial, financial or spiritual crisis on the way, and the devil is saying you better run away and escape before the Philistines come over you. Now what do you think would have happened if Samuel had ran away while offering the sacrifice to God because of the army of Philistine? It would be have been shameful and shamble, he wouldn’t have seen the salvation of God.
“Now as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel. But the LORD thundered with a loud thunder upon the Philistines that day, and so confused them that they were overcome before Israel.” 1 Samuel 7:10
Brethren in the Lord, we must wait at the altar of our service and sacrifice to God till divine help comes, till His salvation comes, till divine intervention comes. We must not be intimidated by the Philistines, we must not be afraid of the spiritual attacks or physical attack or financial crisis whatsoever, because those who make themselves our adversary because of our good course are actually enemies of God, they are fight God not us, the battle is of the Lord. And you know what the Bible says about adversary of God? “The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken in pieces; from heaven He will thunder against them.
The LORD will judge the ends of the earth.” 1 Samuel 2:10.
That was the testimony of Samuel, and that will be your testimony also as long you remain steadfast and unmovable in the Lord!
The day you realize that your battle belongs to the Lord that is when you will begin to experience peace and victory unprecedented, that was the secret of David.
God bless you
RTEM: rtemoutreach.org