Making a difference

"you and the king who reigns over you"

1 Samuel 12:14

The children of Israel wanted a king.

Judges?  Not good enough.

Priests?  Not good enough.

Prophets?  Not good enough.

God?  Not good enough.  

They wanted a king.

Per God's instructions, Samuel tried to warn them... "he will take your sons to be his horsemen and his charioteers, to be his soldiers and his captains, to make his weapons and reap his harvest.  He will take your daughters to be his perfumers, his cooks and his bakers.  He will take the best of your fields, your vineyards and your groves; your donkeys, your sheep and your servants."

But they insisted.  So God granted them their desire.

And at Saul's coronation, Samuel had another warning for them, and I find it very interesting.  "If you fear the Lord and serve Him and obey His voice, and do not rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then both you and the king who reigns over you will continue following the Lord your God."   Do you see the connection between their behavior, and the success of their king?  "If you fear the Lord... then both you and your king will continue following the Lord."

It works the same way for us.  We all know we can have an impact in the lives of those He has placed in our care.  But isn't it interesting to know we can have an impact in the lives of those over us, too?  Parents, employers, pastors and leaders...

And ~ not surprisingly ~ Samuel was right.   Just one chapter later, the people were gathered with Saul to battle the Philistines.  They gathered and then they waited, as instructed by Samuel, for Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice for them before the battle.   But the waiting was too much for them, and the people got scared.  They did not have faith, and they started to scatter.  And because they did, Saul panicked, and disobeyed Samuel by offering the burnt offering himself, instead of waiting for Samuel. 

Saul paid dearly for this decision.  1 Samuel 13:14 ~ "the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.  Now your kingdom shall not continue.... because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you."

The decision was Saul's.  The mistake was his.  But the temptation to sin came from the people.  If they had been faithful, and encouraged their king's obedience to God, all would have been well.  They would have strengthened Saul ~ for the battle and for the future.  Their weakness led to his failing, which in turn was not good for them. 

Are you faithful?  Are you in prayer for the leader of your country?  Are you in prayer for the leaders of other countries?  After all, we're all in this together.   What my president does affects you, too, whether you live in my country or not. 

Be faithful.  Be obedient.  For yourself, and for those it will strengthen.

~ "Do not withhold good 

from those to whom it is due, 

when it is in the power of your hand to do so" ~

Proverbs 3:27