Over the past couple of weeks, I have been reading in I Samuel. I have read this book many times but so much stuck out to me this time that I had never paid attention to before. It is a really good book of the bible, and I recommend taking some time to study it. In saying that, let me share some of what the Lord was speaking to me.
As we all know, the Israelites had a tough time following God alone. They often worshiped idols and let their hearts turn from the Lord. God was always seeking after them though. In I Samuel, it is really no different. Samuel was chosen by the Lord to be a prophet and judge over His people. Samuel told the Israelites to turn back to God and seek after Him with their whole hearts and they agreed to do so. Once Samuel was along in years, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel. His sons did not do very well though, they were unjust and turned too wicked ways. The people saw that Samuel’s sons did not walk in the ways of the Lord and so they asked for a king to lead them like the other nations had.
Samuel was not very happy about this so he took the matter to God. “And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do” (I Samuel 8:7-9). What I do not think that the Israelites really understood was that no matter what was going on, God was their king and supreme authority.
So God said okay, if they want to make someone other than me their king fine, but warn them that it will not be good. Samuel went back to the people and told them this but they insisted on having a king. “‘No!’ they said. ‘We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles” (I Sam. 8:20). God’s people did not trust that He would go before them and fight for them. They wanted a man to protect and rule over them. God warned them but ultimately let them make the decision. “Listen to them and give them a king” (I Sam. 8:22).
In my own life, I so often run to another person for help, advice, and many other things. I do not always run to the Lord first and trust in His rule over my life. Many times I try to fight my battles on my own and with my own strength, but that never really works. God has been showing me that He wants to be king of my life. He will not force His way into that position though. I have the choice to place Him on the thrown or to take Him off. Just like the Israelites, God is already our King. It is our choice to allow Him to be King or to put someone in His place.
The Lord’s desire though is for us to place ourselves under His authority. When we are under that authority, He is our protector, provider, our everything. Of course doing this takes trust and faith in God. But who better to trust than the God of the universe. Man will always fail you but God never will. It is safe to trust in the Lord. He always has our best interest at heart. Things of the world do not cloud His judgment. He is never swayed. God has proven faithful to us so many times, yet just like the Israelites, we tend to forget how He has saved us numerous times. The Lord has brought us out of Egypt and the bondage of slavery; He has parted the Red Sea and made a way through the desert for each of us. Let us not forget these things. “But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you” (I Sam. 12:24).
