In I Samuel 4, the people of Israel brought the Ark of the Covenant into battle against the Philistines. Verse 13 of that chapter says “Behold, Eli was sitting on his seat by the road eagerly watching, because his heart was trembling for the ark of God.” This is quite a revealing verse:

— First, it tells us that Eli the priest was not an uncaring reprobate like his sons were (2:12, 3:14, etc.); he did seem to have a genuine concern for the Ark, and for the things of God.
— BUT secondly, Eli’s concern was misplaced. He should not have “trembled” on behalf of God’s Ark – He knows how to take care of His things! He can smite an entire people and bring it back (as we see in fact that He did in Chapter 5!). But if He allows it to be captured, then as Sovereign God, He has a purpose in it. Eli didn’t need to tremble on behalf of God’s concerns! If anything, his trembling was misplaced — he ought to have trembled for own sins, the sins of his sons, and the sins of the people of Israel before Holy God.

Today some of God’s people may similarly “tremble” for the things of God: worrying about their churches, how the rain might affect attendance or a particular Kingdom effort; worrying about attacks on the Bible, etc. But this passage reminds us that we need not tremble on God’s behalf. He is a mighty sovereign, and knows how to care for what concerns Him without any “contribution” that our worrying might add. Like Eli, if we tremble for anything, we ought to tremble in awe of Holy God!