Devotional: My King1 Samuel 8:1-9

“The LORD said to Samuel, ‘Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them’” (1 Sam. 8:7, NASB).

As my wife and I were watching one of the television programs the hosts were expressing their opinions about things that are taking place in the world today. One of the hosts asked, “What’s going on, what’s going on”? So this is a program in which the hosts express their different opinions, but the question asked is really an admission that the opinions fall short of offering a solutions to the problems that we are confronted with on a daily basis.

In a second interview that I saw, the relatives of victims of crimes that the relatives of the victims stated that we should not still be going through this today. They do not understand why things continue to be the same today as they were in the distant past. For me the simple answer is this: God is not their God. Some people believe that there is a God, but they do not have a relationship with God. You see, in order to have a relationship with God, one must decide within themselves that God is my king.

The Israelites were being led by the prophet Samuel who was their judge at the time. In those days a judge was a person that God raised up to lead His people. They taught the people God’s laws and they led them in their wars with their enemies. Samuel had two sons. They did not follow the job description of a judge. The people demanded that Samuel appoint a king to rule over them just as the nations had kings. Samuel was too old and they needed someone to take his place. Of course, Samuel was hurt and disappointed. After serving the people for all these years the people were rejecting him. God appeared to Samuel and told him that the people were not really rejecting him. They were rejecting God. In verse eight the Lord tells Samuel that the people had always forsaken Him and served other gods. What’s the point?

America no longer serves God. We have rejected God as our king. Americans no longer say God is my king. Because we have rejected God we do not have access to the truth about ourselves and the world in which we live. What’s going on is a question that the answer is available to us but rejected. The psalmist writes, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Ps. 119:105, NASB). I can know what’s going on when I accept God as my king.

Prayer: God, I accept Jesus Christ as my king. Amen.