There is a tendency to believe that God can be managed. Rather than seeking to do as He pleases, the temptation exists to manipulate God into doing what we want. Such was the case with the Israelites and the Ark of the Covenant. The Israelites believed that they could manipulate God into winning the battle against the Philistines by merely taking the Ark with them onto the battlefield. In their thinking, they had the presence of God, so there was no possible way they could lose the fight. Unfortunately they failed to realize that God is the One who is in control of all situations – not them. They were concerned with their own glory rather than His, and they viewed God as simply a contingency to be managed. The result was the loss of the Ark and the death of Eli, one of the last judges of Israel. Whenever we lose sight of whose glory we're fighting for, we risk losing the battle. God fights for His glory, and He doesn't share it with anyone. He doesn't seek to make your name great; He seeks to make His name great. God is not a god to be managed; He is a God to be worshipped. No one learned that lesson better than the Israelites as they came to the realization that God would not bless their efforts as long as they were seeking the glorification of themselves.
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