LIKE THE OTHERS
Today's reading: 1 Samuel 6-10

"Finally, the leaders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. Look, they told him, you are old now, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king like all the other nations have." 1 Samuel 8:4-5 NLT

In the King James Version, the last part of this portion of Scripture says, '...make us a king to judge us like all the nations...'

According to the definition of 'judge', they wanted someone who would govern, vindicate, punish and discipline.

Someone other than God.

They had had Him as ruler, king, judge and leader and chose to go against His commands and His desire that they serve Him with their whole hearts.

And they didn't like the punishment He doled out. The exact punishment He had told them would come if they wavered in their commitment to Him.

So they asked for a king.

They saw and heard some of the unlovely things a king would do or demand from his followers--but they were willing to take that risk. A king looked better to them. A king sounded better to them. A king might not require of them what God was requiring. A king couldn't see what they did in private, what their hearts were focused on, where their true allegiance was.

How often, I'm thinking this morning, do I prefer sin over God? Prefer comfort over obedience? Natural man and his tendencies over the new creation I am in Christ?

How often do I want to fit in, no matter the cost, rather than stand up against the enemy and his impact on my life, my family, my church?

What am I asking for instead of God??