THURSDAY November 8, 2018

God’s Glory Has Departed

Then she named the child Ichabod, saying, “The glory has departed from Israel!” because the ark of God had been captured and because of her father-in-law and her husband. And she said, “The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
1 Samuel 4:21-22

It is interesting that Eli’s daughter-in-law called her child Ichabod, meaning “inglorious,” the glory of God has departed. What a name to give a child! However, the name fit exactly what had happened in God’s judgment of Israel. The Ark of God, which represented God’s glorious presence, was captured.

How sad it is when God has to write Ichabod––My glory has departed–– over the top of His Church. How tragic it would be if God had to write Ichabod on anyone’s forehead––the glory has departed from somebody’s life. This happens when a person continues to sin and refuses to depart from their sins.

There are people on whom you can clearly see the anointing God has placed on their foreheads. Yet because they became captured by their sin, blindness came over their eyes. They would not listen to God, and they excused their sin––Ichabod was written on their foreheads.

God’s grace is beautiful. I love God’s grace, but we need to be careful not to take advantage of His grace. Listen carefully to what the Apostle Paul exhorted Christians in Romans 6:1-2: What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?

We need to live a life of holiness––separated to God. How many times have you been captured by your sin and become blind to it? I think the only way we can come to a place of holiness is when our will is broken. In humility, before God, we need to confess our sin, and He will cleanse us.

The grace of God will do very little for us if we resolve to do nothing for ourselves. God calls us to co-operate with him
in the perfecting of character.
~W. Graham Scroggie~

For more from Raul Ries, please visit Somebodylovesyouradio.org!