Today’s 333 Devotional: “Right Intentions, Wrong Way”

Right intentions are not always right with God.

Consider King David’s desire to bring the ark of God to Jerusalem was rightly focused as David said, “Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we have not inquired at it since the days of Saul.” (1 Chronicles 13:3)

Right up front, we see a real problem. Yes, it was a right request, but David was wrong in his reasoning, as the eventual outcome of Uzza’s death was a result along with the ark being left behind. David thought the Lord dwelt in the ark, instead of realizing that there is nothing, not time, space, or matter that can hold God.

David could have prayed directly to God, and then he would have known that the answer to how to transport the ark was found in God’s word. And so, while his motives were right, his methodology was wrong.

What was his method? I call it, “Ark in a Cart.” It says, “They carried the ark of God on a new cart from the house of Abinadab, and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.” (1 Chronicles 13:7) And the result: “Then the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzza, and He struck him because he put his hand to the ark; and he died there before God.” (1 Chronicles 3:10)

The problem was that they were treating God, handling Him if you would, in a way not prescribed by God in His Word (Exodus 25:10-13; Deuteronomy 31:25).

Heck, there were even praising the Lord as they went, but God was not impressed with their religiously, because then never consulted Him. This is what Samuel told Saul, that it is better to obey than to sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22)

And so, after a careful search of God’s word, David brought the ark of God to Jerusalem the right way.

So, right intentions are not always right with God if done in the wrong way.