And the LORD said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.“ 1 Samuel 8:7
Although Samuel was the undisputed spiritual leader of Israel, the people rejected his leadership. One reason was because Samuel committed the same mistake as Eli, the former high priest. Just like the latter, Samuel appointed his sons to top leadership although they were ungodly and dishonest. And he failed to discipline and remove them from office when they took bribes and perverted justice in the temple.
If change doesn’t come top down by revelation, it will eventually come bottom up by revolution. In the end, the people of Israel used the failure of Samuel’s two sons as an excuse to force him out of leadership. They could have gone the spiritual way and prayed for a God-given solution for their nation. Instead, they wanted a charismatic king just like the heathens around them. But God wanted Israel to be led by spiritual leaders-His prophets and priests-not by a king mandated by popular demand. So when the people rejected Samuel, they were in effect rejecting God Himself!
You must be very careful when you want something very badly from the Lord. Because when you want it badly enough, God may give it to you. However, you must be ready to face the consequences of your request. That is why prayer requests must always be according to the will of the Lord. And sometimes when your prayers don’t come to pass immediately, it may be because it is not God’s best for your life. But if you stubbornly insist on it, God may grant you your wish, even when He knows it is bad for you. Psalm 106:15 says, “And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.”
You must make sure that the desires of your heart are in alignment with the will of God, that your heart is in tune with God. And what you are seeking is also what He desires for your life. Otherwise, you may live with regrets later on. Despite the repeated warnings Samuel gave about the danger of having a king, Israel refused to listen. Eventually, God granted them their wish. Saul became their king … and what a terrible leader he was for the nation.
The scariest thing that can happen to a believer is for him to have an external form of religiosity, but no presence and power of God in his daily walk. Or for that Christian to invoke the name of Jesus in His prayer, and find no power in his invocation. May the glory of God never depart from your life!
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