What a Great Way to Start the Morning

Last week, I decided that I'm going to start waking up earlier and reading the Bible before I come to work.  I've been feeling that God has been calling me to start making some personal sacrifices for him; and sleep just happens to be one of them.

As a Christian, I'm called to live a life like Jesus lived, and Jesus knew his stuff.  He knew God's word inside and out, and even though I've grown up in the church, I still feel like there is so much that I don't know, or things that I used to know that I've forgotten.  Taking time to read the Word is so important to do if you really have a relationship with Jesus Christ.  

Well, I want a relationship with Jesus Christ, or at least a better one than I've been having lately.  A few weeks ago, me and Cody had started reading 1 Samuel, but we didn't get very far together.  So this morning I picked that  back up again.  I read 1 Samuel 4:1-11 which is about the Philistines defeating the Israelites.  

The leaders of the Israelites (Eli's wicked sons Hophni and Phinehas) had defied God's commands and went into the Holy Temple where the Ark of the Covenant was housed (only the High Priest was allowed in this space once a year) and took it out to have with them when they went into battle with the Philistines.  

So anyway, this didn't really sit to well with God because people were starting to get the wrong idea (that the Ark was the source of power and not God himself - can we say Idol worship?), so God allowed the Philistines to defeat the Israelites (his chosen people).  

Also, Eli's wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas, were both killed on the same day by the Philistines.  This was foretold by God to Eli earlier on in 1 Samuel.  It just goes to show how God always keeps his word, and he has a plan in all things.