When things don’t work out as planned, we can turn to other things to bring us the relief we think will solve our problems. Things had not worked out as planned for the nation of Israel. Up until this time they had been ruled by judges. But now problems had crept in. Samuel’s sons had not done the right thing. They had become corrupt, dishonest and did not do what was just and right. Things had gone wrong. It’s at difficult times and in times of crisis that we need to be very careful about our choices. The nation had become convinced that having a king would solve all their problems, after all, it was working for other nations around them. Perhaps, out of desperation, you have allowed something to rule over you and it has not had the desired effect. We need to be very cautious about what we give authority to and over our lives. It can be things like our own ideas, greed, selfishness, rejection, hopelessness and things that God does not want in our lives. The Lord desires that we would be free, and the freedom we so long for, is only found in Him and not in our own ‘good ideas’. Often God will give us what we demand. 

1 Samuel 8:22 The Lord answered, ‘Listen to them and give them a king.’

COMPARING YOURSELF TO OTHERS BRINGS DISASTER

1 Samuel 8:5 ‘Now appoint a king to lead us, such as all the other nations have.’

The Lord had a special plan for the nation. The plan was that He would be their King. His plan did not include an earthly king. Comparing ourselves to others is a recipe for disaster. When we compare ourselves to others, we are in effect letting them decide how we will act. Comparison brings discontent into our lives, and we become dissatisfied. Dissatisfaction leads to our judgement being clouded. A clouded judgement brings about a situation where we cannot think clearly. Decisions made when we cannot think clearly, sets us up for wrong and inappropriate decisions. I addition, comparison generally makes you unhappy, and often the very people you compare yourself to, wish they could be more like you. So comparison crept in and the result was a decision that both Samuel and God disapproved of. 

1 Samuel 8:6-7 But when they said, ‘Give us a king to lead us,’ this displeased Samuel; so he prayed to the Lord. 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.’ 

1 Samuel 8:19-20 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. ‘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.’

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