By Andrew Williams – March 12, 2022
When they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” Samuel considered their demand sinful, so he prayed to the Lord. But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected Me as their king. They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to Me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning Me and worshiping other gods. Listen to them, but you must solemnly warn them and tell them about the rights of the king who will rule over them.”
Samuel listened to all the people’s words and then repeated them to the Lord. “Listen to them,” the Lord told Samuel. “Appoint a king for them.” Then Samuel told the men of Israel, “Each of you, go back to your city.”
1 Samuel 8:6-9, 21-22 HCSB
Good morning fellow disciples.
Let us examine our lives carefully. Have We become like the children of Israel who have rejected God as their King? Are we trying to become like the world in our thought, our speech, our behavior, and in how we organize the kingdom of God here on earth?
Have we rejected God? Have we rejected the ones that He has appointed to lead us?
God Almighty was Israel’s true King, but the people wanted a human king to rule them just like the other kingdoms around them. They saw what was happening in the other kingdoms and wanted to be like them.
When they made this request to Samuel, who was God’s prophet, Samuel considered that request to be sinful. This was because Samuel knew that God was their King and to choose someone else as king would be sinful.
God told Samuel to give them the king that they wanted. He also told Samuel to tell the people what the consequences of getting a king would be.
Consider for a moment your requests and petitions to God.
Do they align with God’s character and God’s purpose for your life? Are these petitions just your selfish requests? If God was to give these to you would you abide with God or drift away from Him?
Prayer: Father God, reveal to me where my petitions to You fall outside of Your will. I confess as sin any requests that I have made that are selfish or self-centered. Please forgive me!
I know sometimes the way that the world does things seems appealing, and as a disciple I want to do things like them because I think it will make my Christian walk better. But God, I realize that if I fall outside of Your will then I am sinning, I am disrespecting You, and I am not living according to Your kingdom principles.
Help me to know Your Word. Help me to live according to Your Word. Help me to obey Your prophets.
I pledge the examine myself, and where I have sinned, I will repent! From today onwards I will live my life totally obedient to You! Amen.
