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Trying to Do God Stuff Without God

4/8/2014

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While reading the Old Testament account of King David in his early days in Jerusalem, I was struck with this thought of going God stuff without God. David realizes that the ark of the covenant, which represented the presence of God, was blessing the household where it was kept. It ended up there because David had previously attempted to bring the ark to Jerusalem but a man named Uzziah touched the ark and died. This made David afraid of God.

2 Samuel 6:6-7, 9-11
When they came to the threshing floor of Nakon, Uzzah reached out and took hold of the ark of God, because the oxen stumbled. 7 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah because of his irreverent act; therefore God struck him down, and he died there beside the ark of God.
   9 David was afraid of the Lord that day and said, “How can the ark of the Lord ever come to me?” 10 He was not willing to take the ark of the Lord to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 11 The ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite for three months, and the Lord blessed him and his entire household.


After three months of watching Obed-Edom getting blessed David sends the Levites, who were responsible to go before God, perform duties for Him and the ones God appointed to carry the ark.
1 Chronicles 15:13
”It was because you, the Levites, did not bring it up the first time that the Lord our God broke out in anger against us. We did not inquire of him about how to do it in the prescribed way.”


The Levites had been doing God stuff without being in the presence of God for three months. Unbelievable, yet every follower of Jesus has done the same. We are living for Jesus, doing stuff for God and have neglected being in God’s presence. It does not work and the blessings of God will go wherever His presence is.

God is omniscient. He is everywhere. There is no place where God is not. God was not confined to the ark. He chose to have the ark be a location where He is honored and worshiped. He is not confined to your location. God does limit His activity when His presence is not actively and intentionally sought.

Make certain that you are in a close relationship to God and you will discover that the stuff you are doing for Him will have His stamp of approval.


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    Mark Radeke

    Husband of one, father of five, pastor and friend of many.

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