Very frequently, our plans have us as the main actor in the story. We plan to do this or that and we plan to overcome the challenges through our own strength.
The Israelites, in the time of Samuel, knew that they wouldn’t be able to overcome the Philistines. They had been subject to them for decades and the Philistines had been too strong for the Israelites to defeat. But finally, the Israelites made the right move.
The Israelites asked Samuel to continue to cry out to God, that he would rescue them from the Philistines. As the ark of the covenant returned to them, the Israelites repented of their sins, repented of their idolatry, and put away all of their foreign gods. Instead, they looked to the Lord for his help, which at that point, is what God did.
While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the LORD thundered with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic that they were routed before the Israelites.
1 Samuel 7:10
Even while Samuel was still sacrificing, the Philistines came to attack the Israelites but God released an incredibly loud thunder upon them. The force of the thunder threw the Philistines into a great confusion and panic such that they weren’t able to even fight well, as they normally would, before the Israelites. And so the Israelites routed the Philistines and were rescued from their hand as they had asked.
When we repent, when we put the Lord first, when we call out to him, he can and will bring the solution. Very rarely can we see the solution coming. It usually, seemingly comes from nowhere, but he does it! God does it. When we are faced with daunting circumstances, we must cry out to the Lord in repentance and in expectation that God will work. He will move. He will bring the solution, even one that we don’t expect. And in these solutions that God brings, we will see the glory of the Lord.