May 22

1 Samuel 8

Israel demands a king from the Lord.

INSIGHT

The Lord intends to rule Israel by theocracy, which means that God will rule through a man who will be His spokesman. In rejecting this method, the Israelites are not rejecting Samuel but God. To be sure there is a problem with Samuel’s sons not walking after the Lord, but rather than ask God for another theocratic administrator, they demand a monarchy. In seeking to correct a legitimate problem, they make matters worse because their motives are wrong. They have a selfish desire for a king like the nations around them. When we see legitimate problems, we must be careful that we do not demand wrong solutions. There is no substitute for pure motives when it comes to problem solving.

PRAYER

Praise the Lord because we need not fear His solutions to problems:
Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts,
And I will declare Your greatness….
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and great in mercy.
The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works (Psalm 145:6-9).

Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving.

Pray this confession to the Lord as you seek to keep your life free from sin:
You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart-
These, O God, You will not despise (Psalm 51:16-17).

Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind.

Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
This is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment (1 John 3:23).

As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:

• Greater faithfulness with your finances
• Revival among Christians in America
• Your activities for the day

Offer this closing prayer to the Lord:
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Timothy 1:17).