We want that old thing back!
“‘Do not be afraid,’ Samuel replied. ‘You have done all this evil; yet do not turn away from the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart…For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own.’” (1 Samuel 12:20,22)
We’ve all seen the movies where someone is in a perfectly healthy relationship, only to suddenly imagine that a life with someone new would be better. We watch as they forget all the amazing qualities in their partner in exchange for the newness of the grass on the other side. It appears so easy to point out flaws in movie characters, but can we so easily point out similar tendencies in ourselves?
The children of Israel were constantly testing the bounds of God’s kindness. The Old Testament details the cycles of their sin. It played out like a predictable movie: God delivers; the people rejoice; God asks for singular devotion; the people choose idols; God removes his hand; the people cry out; God delivers…and so on. In this passage of 1 Samuel, they desired a king to rule them- against Samuel’s warnings. Have you ever wanted something so badly that you were unwilling to hear the warning of those around you? Have you ever thought “God, you just don’t understand, I need this”?
Well, much like the solid relationship we leave for a fantasy, the people quickly realized their error. How could they choose a human king over their God? Probably the same way we sometimes choose other things over God (money, approval, sex, etc.).
The good news is that the Lord is kind. In spite of their repeated offenses, the prophet of God continued to cover them in prayer. He, like Jesus to us, continued to walk with them and offer guidance and correction. As we learned before, correction is to be treasured! In spite of themselves, God allowed Saul to rule as king until David was appointed. He did not allow their sin to dictate his decision to claim them as His.
Prayer:
Lord, I, like the Israelites have sinned! I have added to all my sins the sin of asking you to give me something I would cherish more than you (1 Samuel 12:19). I am sorry. I recognize my mistake. I invite you to be my only King. In Jesus’ name, amen.
