“Then David said, “No one but the Levites may carry the ark of God, because the Lord chose them to carry the ark of the Lord and to minister before him forever.”
Recently, my wife and I were hanging some pictures on the wall. Choosing the right picture was a hard task, but we were past that. All we had to do was hang the picture. Searching for a hammer, I could not find one close by, so I reached for anything else, a shoe, a hard object, anything to help us drive the nail into the wall. The sheetrock was easy to penetrate, but I quickly realized there was a stud on the other side of the sheetrock, and my would-be hammer, the shoe, was not going to cut it. It was not the hammer I needed. Once I got the hammer, things went well, and the picture was hung.
1 Chronicles has been a Reader’s Digest of the history of Israel up to now. If you remember, Uzzah was struck down on the threshing floor for reaching out and touching the ark of the Lord. Verse 2 sums up why that happened. The ark of the Lord was supposed to be carried by the Levites, not on a cart pulled by oxen. David, realizing his mistake, carried the ark of the Lord back to Jerusalem the right way this time, and it was a huge celebration.
The ark of the Lord represents His presence in our lives. The method of carrying the ark represents our relationship with Him. God told the Israelites that the ark was only to be carried by the Levite priests in a specific way. It was supposed to be carried on foot, up close and personal, with cedar rods put through holes in the ark and carried on the shoulders of the priesthood. When Uzzah was struck down, it was because the ark was on a cart pulled by oxen.
The lesson here is to realize where the Lord wants to be in your life. When you are carrying an ark on your shoulders, it becomes your main focus with every step you take. When the ark was on the cart, it was just something being transported and did not have the full focus of attention it needed.
You may be transporting your Christianity in the same cart, only paying attention to it when it is about to be wrecked. Backpack Christianity will not work with God. He does not want to be taken out like a map or a snack when you need it or when you forget which way to go. God wants to be up close, in your face, while you’re walking and taking every step. Don’t put Jesus in a backpack. He should be more to you than something you casually pay attention to. Carry the ark the right way and ask the Lord to be a part of every step you take today. I have always said, “Work smarter, not harder” and “The right tool for the right job.” Jesus every day is the right way to live smarter and not harder while listening to and heeding the directions and tools the Holy Spirit guides you with. Just like there is no substitute for the hammer, Jesus has no substitute. He works every time.
Prayer: Father, we are all guilty of not paying enough attention to You while paying too much attention to things You said You would take care of in Matthew 6:33. I pray that I would seek You and Your righteousness first. I pray and know that You should be ever present on my mind, and I should be listening and praying to You, Lord, every minute of every day. I pray that the Holy Spirit guides me as He always does and that I will heed that guidance. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Let It Go 
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