Revival in Israel

And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.” So the people of Israel put away the Baals and the Ashtaroth, and they served the LORD only. - 1 Samuel 7:3–4 (ESV) We live in an era where news, events, tragedy, and triumphs from around the globe are reported to us almost instantly. Often times it is so quick we don't know how or if we should respond. We question a story's legitimacy, and our emotions affect how we react. In our day it seems that slow, thoughtful reasoned analysis of new events is at a deficit. I bet if it was reported on the news or the internet that a revival had broken out in another part of the country it would be met with cautious optimism at best or cynical dismissal at worst. But what if? In our text for this week, 1 Samuel 7:2-22, we see Samuel step into the spotlight and speak to the nation. What is his message? What does he call for? Take a few minutes to read through the text. It's an amazing text of renewal and revival. I'm praying that this affects us both personally and corporately.