Has God ever given you something that you protested you just had
to have, only to find out that in the end your request was birthed in your
flesh and ended up costing you more than you ever believed that it would? Well,
in the Bible God gives us a very important lesson on being careful, to always
ask for things from God that are according to His will, not simply because we
want it. It was never God’s intention that that the Jews have a king. His plan
was that they would follow Him under the direction of His prophets and
according to His very words and that by doing so, He would provide for them and
care for them. In I Samuel beginning in chapter 8 it is very clear how God
intended Israel to govern themselves, but His people clamored and demanded that
they be allowed to have a king like the surrounding nations around them. So
they took to the streets and protested and murmured and grumbled to the point
that God finally relented and gave them what they wanted. Not only did He give
them a king, He gave them the biggest, strongest and most handsome man in all
Israel. When the people saw their new king, they fell down in adoration for
this awesome specimen of what they perceived to be a great leader and king. They
just knew that anyone so mighty and good looking had to be the most favored and
likable king in all the earth. Unfortunately it did not turn out the way the
people had envisioned. No matter how good Saul looked on the outside, it did
nothing to change the reality of who he was on the inside. Despite his good and
favorable beginning and being the epitome of a “man’s man”, Saul was inwardly a
weak coward who was incapable of doing the will of God and caved in to the
demands of those around him at the expense of being faithful to God’s calling.
Saul, when confronted by the prophet Samuel, simply did not and would not
accept responsibility for disobeying the Word of the Lord that Samuel had given
him. In 1 Samuel 15 it is painfully obvious that Saul had only Saul’s interests
in his mind and those interest that were birthed in his flesh cost him his
kingdom, his family, personal relationships with others and ultimantly his
life. His life is truly a lesson that we can all learn from.
Recently the
people in this country spoke their minds about what they wanted, they were sick
and tired of trying to care for themselves and demanded a government who would
provide for them financially, physically and even spiritually. The will of the
people manifested in these past elections resulted clearly one of more
government and less of personal freedom. The relentless and crushing financial
blows which the American people have undergone over these past years have
brought down many a strong folks. The general feeling of despair has been
glooming over us all. It appears to many that they now have what they have
wanted. In time I fear like the children of Israel had learned, that many Americans will be
stunned to see that there is no savior, no man apart form Jesus, that that can
save them from their mistakes or themselves. Whatever transpires in this country,
it must be clearly understood that the voting populist have gotten what they
wanted, and maybe even more. Just as in due time God’s people recognized Saul
to be the fraud that he turned out to be, so in due time Americans will wake up
to see that for the believer, there is only one hope and that hope is in Jesus
Christ. For no King, President, Senator or state or local Representative can
spare one man’s pain without hurting another and by the time that people see
the error or their ways, it will be too late and the changes demanded
previously will have been permanently enacted and set as law. Then the people
will want another “savior” to save them from the one that they elected and put
their trust in. For the child of God is called to a higher call and that is
simply to carry out the dictates of 1 Timothy and pray for those in authority
that we may lead a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and honesty. Ours
role as Christians is to change our government by spreading the Gospel of Jesus
Christ who is able to change the hearts of those that will believe and accept
Him and His ways for their lives. Let the people of God pray for the patience
and endurance that we must have as God’s elect. Look to God to bring change in
your life, not the government.
Loving on you today!
Bren
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