Title: God Can be a Pain in the Butt/Topic: Judgment

Today’s Reading: 1 Samuel 3; 1 Samuel 4; 1 Samuel 5; Psalm 77; 2 Corinthians 8

Scripture: 1 Samuel 5:9,10
9 But after they had moved it, the LORD's hand was against that city, throwing it into a great panic. He afflicted the people of the city, both young and old, with an outbreak of tumors. [b] 10 So they sent the ark of God to Ekron.

Observation: The enemies of the Lord had captured the ark of God and placed it in the temple of their idol god as a trophy; a sign that their god was greater than Jehovah God. But the Lord had a few surprises in store for them. He not only put their god prostrate on its face before the ark but afflicted the people with tumors. The word “tumors” in the Hebrew dictionary is hemorrhoids. God literally made himself a pain in the butt to the Phillistines. God promises rest to his people and I think it is poetic justice that these people are put into a kind of discomfort that makes rest just about impossible. God sometimes has a real sense of humor about getting his point across.

Application: Honor God if you want to have a good life. He gives us rest and makes it easy to eliminate waste from our lives. The Phillistines experienced what it is like to be on the Lord's bad side and have neither of these.

Prayer: Father, keep me close to you. I don't want to have to learn things the hard way. Please, no pain in the butt for me! Thank you for your love and protection.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.