THE PILGRIMS GUIDE THURSDAY APRIL 23, 2026 HOLLOW FAITH AND EMPTY RELIGION 1 A WORD FROM THE WORD: "So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and every man fled to his tent. There was a very great slaughter....." 1 Samuel 4:10 NKJV What went wrong? Why would the people of God, Israel, be defeated by the uncircumcised and idolatrous Philistines? What should the people of God do when they are so defeated? The questions above have just one answer - due to the hollowness of Israel's faith in God at that point in time. The attitudes and actions of the people of Israel after their defeat by the Philistines showed the exhibition and crass display of hollow faith and empty religion. Though they began well by recognising the LORD’s hand in their defeat, they did not go on to redress their faithlessness. Instead of humbling themselves before God, confessing their sins, and seeking God's face (2 Chronicles 7:14), they resorted to a show of outward religious power instead of inward penitence: '... Why has the Lord defeated us today before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.' (v. 3 NKJV). They treated God like a spare tyre and regarding the Ark of the Covenant of God like a magical wand that would help them in trouble. Whenever God becomes a spare tyre in your life and service as a Christian, you're bound to encounter loss, which might be eternal if you don't redress the matter. PRAYER BULLETS: Father LORD, help me to be true in my daily walk and work with You. I desire relationship with You more than religion. FURTHER READING: James 1:26; 2:14, 17, 20; Matthew 15:17. ________________________________________ ©️ Amaobi Nwachukwu 2026. If you're blessed by this, please, do share with others. And if you'll like to partner with us, kindly check page 3 of our hard copy edition or better still send us a WhatsApp message or call on +234 8098421967. #ThePilgrimsGuide.