12 And the cows went straight in the direction of Beth-shemesh along one highway, lowing as they went. They turned neither to the right nor to the left, and the lords of the Philistines went after them as far as the border of Beth-shemesh. 13 Now the people of Beth-shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley. And when they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, they rejoiced to see it. 14 The cart came into the field of Joshua of Beth-shemesh and stopped there. A great stone was there. And they split up the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering to the Lord. 15 And the Levites took down the ark of the Lord and the box that was beside it, in which were the golden figures, and set them upon the great stone. And the men of Beth-shemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices on that day to the Lord.
When the ark came home, the people of Beth-shemesh stopped their harvest and broke into spontaneous worship. They didn’t plan it. They just saw what God had done, and they responded. Some of the most sacred moments in FGA’s 40 years have been exactly like this: unrehearsed, unhurried, and unmistakably God. The return of presence always calls for celebration.
Prepare or share a simple meal with someone (a neighbour, a friend, a fellow church partner) as a small feast of thanksgiving. As you eat, share one story of what God has done. Let the table become an altar.
God of returning glory, thank You for every moment You came back to us, after dry seasons, after hard years, after times we wandered. You always found your way back to your people. We celebrate You today. Amen.
share this devotional: