Sometimes our job is not to figure it out, but to follow

It was one of those moments. You may know the kind – where you were going along just fine, and all of a sudden, you come up against an obstacle that seems insurmountable. And you are shaken to the core. I was a little girl, playing at the park with my sisters and cousins. I imagine our mothers were close by, but in my memory, it was us kids against the world. 

And really, it was just us kids against this one cluster of boys. We wanted to cross the rickety wooden bridge that connected one side of the playset with the other side. So a couple of us tried to cross it, only these boys told us we couldn’t . . . or else. It was their bridge, they told us, and as such, it could not be traversed by the likes of us. I don’t remember exactly what the threat was, but I believe it was something like, “We’ll get you if you come over here.” 

Well, that was it for my cousins, my older sister, and me. I mean, a dream’s a dream. And dreams are lovely, and crossing that bridge had sure seemed fun, but not if bodily harm lay on the other side. In my mind that particular dream was dead to me, and I was off to find another; but for my little sister, Candace, who was this tiny slip of a thing with green eyes and white-blonde hair.

She asked us why we were making new plans to conquer new territories, and we told her, “Those mean boys said they would get us if we tried to cross that bridge!” Thinking that would be enough for her, since it certainly was enough to deter us, we began walking away. Only when we looked back, we noticed that Candace hadn’t followed us. In fact, she was headed straight for those mean boys, those self-proclaimed Guardians of the Bridge. 

My cousins, older sister, and I froze where we stood and watched in horror, thinking we were about to witness the annihilation of my baby sister. She marched right up to those boys and told them she intended to cross the bridge. They repeated to her that she had better not cross that bridge, or else they would get her. To which Candace replied, placing her hands on her hips, “Oh yeah? Well, I’d like to see you try!”

And would you believe it? Those boys ran away like the cowards that they were. (Not that I should be pointing fingers, as I had forgotten to bring my own bravery with me to the park that day.) But they not only left us alone; they actually left the bridge altogether, and we were able to gleefully run back and forth on it as much as our relieved hearts desired.

I thought of that story this week because I read in 1 Samuel 4 about how the Israelites had been defeated by the Philistines, and so they decided to bring the ark of the covenant with them in the hopes that God would be with them in their next battle and would give them the victory. (You may recall that the ark of the covenant was a wooden chest containing the stone tablets onto which the Ten Commandments were etched.)

Now, in those days, when one group of people were victorious in battle against another, it was assumed that their gods were involved in the battle as well. So a victory for the Israelites would also be seen as a victory for their God. And Israel’s God had quite a reputation among other people groups. 

So when the Philistines heard that the ark of the covenant was in the Hebrew camp, they were afraid. This seemed to motivate them to fight harder, and they once again defeated the Israelites. We are told that 30,000 Israelite soldiers were killed that day. Not only that, but the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant. 

When I was reading this, I was alarmed. While I have read it before, it has been a while, so it hit me afresh – not only did the Israelites bring the precious ark of the covenant with them into battle in the hopes that God would give them victory, and their plan didn’t work. But even further, the ark was now in enemy hands. Could things get any worse?

But just like that day at the park, I shouldn’t have worried. We read in chapter 5:  After the Philistines had captured the ark of God, they took it from Ebenezer to Ashdod. Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon. 

When the people of Ashdod rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! They took Dagon and put him back in his place. 

But the following morning when they rose, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the Lord! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.

That is why to this day neither the priests of Dagon nor any others who enter Dagon’s temple at Ashdod step on the threshold (vs. 1-5).

I needn’t have worried. God had the power to protect the ark of the covenant. And He did. In fact, it’s nearly comical how, after this display of power, no one wanted the ark in their territory because they were (understandably) afraid of it. 

You see, even when God’s people have forgotten Him, even when they have gotten distracted by following after other things, God is able. Our weakness doesn’t dull His strength. Our imperfections never negate His perfection. Our inability won’t hamper His ability. 

It sounds almost like a cliche, but it still rings true today. God is able. He was able to protect the ark of the covenant, to raise up Samuel and then Saul to lead the people. And He gave my little sister the courage to stand up to those bullies on the playground that day so many years ago. 

Some of us like to figure out how to fix situations and solve problems, and we feel discouraged and frustrated when we can’t see a way out or a way forward. But what I find so freeing is that God doesn’t need us to figure things out. He already knows the way through. Our job is to trust Him and try to follow where He leads us. 

Psalm 119:165-166 tell us:  Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. I wait for your salvation, Lord, and I follow your commands.

The bullies you face today may be bigger than those boys on the playground of my childhood. And you may not have a brave little sister in your corner. But you do have Someone who fights for you. And you can rest in Him.

Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them. The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place” (Deuteronomy 1:29-31).