"Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, "If you return to the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths from among you, and prepare your hearts for the LORD, and serve Him only; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines." 

1 Samuel 7:3

 

The Lord was very clear with the children of Israel that they were to have no other god, but they ignored His word and began to serve the pagan gods that the people who occupied the land before them had.  Israel found them-selves in a bad spot when they abandoned the God of their fathers and went after foreign gods.  Israel at the point in time of our text was under the hand of the Philistines.  Samuel tells them if they will put away the foreign gods and return to the Lord with a willing heart that God would deliver them from under the hand of the Philistines.

 

We, like Israel, set up things above our Lord.  We may not worship a statue or some kind of image, but we often times put other tings above God; it could be work, a hobby or anything that take the prominent position in our life that belongs to God.  When this happens we will eventually find, just like Israel, we will be under the hand of the enemy, and it is not because God has put us there but because we made a choice to stray from Him putting other things above Him.  If today you find yourself under the hand of the enemy, put away the things that have led you away from the Lord and return to Him with a true heart, and He will deliver and restore you.

 

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded." James 4:8