In II Samuel 5:21 it says that after David defeated the Philistines in battle, “They abandoned their idols there, so David and his men carried them away.” It is both Ironic and instructive that the Philistines cast aside those idols which could not deliver them in battle. Because they proved themselves to be powerless, they were left behind.

People do the same thing today: they often leave behind in time of crisis what was not able to really help them. They do this with false religions, when they prove themselves to be impotent in crisis times of life. As a result, many people often come to faith in Christ during trying times. And there are also those who do it with inadequate versions of Christianity which were not genuine — these nominal, spurious versions are often demonstrated to be unhelpful and are cast aside under trial, revealing themselves to be what they were — cheap substitutes for the real thing. It’s not a bad thing, actually. Recognizing that something is not helping you, and casting it aside, is the first step in finding the “real thing.” If all you have is a “religion” that is not really making you right with God and giving you a genuine, daily relationship with Him, it is time to do what the Philistines did: abandon the inadequate — and then call on the name of the Lord from your heart!