Well, Duh!

1Sa 7:3-4
3 Then Samuel spoke to all the house of Israel, saying, “ If you return to the Lord with all your heart, remove the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your hearts to the Lord and serve Him alone; and He will deliver you from the hand of the Philistines.” 4 So the sons of Israel removed the Baals and the Ashtaroth and served the Lord alone.
(NASBStr)

This takes place after Israel has tried to defeat the Philistines using the Ark of God. The defeat is huge, the Ark is captured, Shiloh completely destroyed, and the people were confused. Why had their God abandoned them? Why had He allowed the gold box of His presence be taken? They were left wondering.

In this case it wasn't rocket surgery. Samuel knew. He didn't go with the Ark to battle. He was one of the Shiloh refugees, fleeing in the aftermath of disaster. But he knew why. God had already established him as a prophet, Israel already knew to seek God through Samuel, and he had been around the corruption of Eli and his sons.

The people were confused why God had left them, and the reason they sought was their confusion about their God's holiness. They totally missed it. In the previous chapter the Levites of Beth-Shemesh sent the Ark away because God was too holy; too holy for Levites. If the ones responsible for maintaining and teaching holiness didn't get it, it shouldn't surprise us that Israel didn't.

So they had seen no inconsistency in their practice of worshipping more than just the God of Israel. They had to renounce their other gods and practices before they were given success in battle. Am I any different? The rules haven't changed over the years, my Master still requires holy (singular) devotion. Yet what simple stupid stuff competes for my attention? What does it take to keep me from church? What does it take for me to miss my morning time with my Master. Why am I so easily distracted, so quick to give up time and attention to the One forming stars? And for what? What is so central to my mind that I lose focus on such a One? It's usually petty, temporal, and petty...oh wait I already said that. I was just distracted, again!

But putting all distractions and practices behind me will enable me to be used by my Master for His purposes. My success will be before Him, in His service, beyond the meager goals and aspirations of this earth. If I want transcendence, to be continually conscious of His presence, then I must be singular in my devotion. The question is, do I really want that.