And the Lord told him: “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king.”
For a political junkie like me, this is an amazing time. Yet, in the thirty years serving in the Republican party, in some form or other, I have never witnessed anything like it. I know what it is like to put every ounce of my time, effort, and money into a candidate and I know the elation of winning and the despair of losing. However in the end, the will of the voters prevails.
The children of Israel watched God do amazing feats on their behalf, rescuing them from slavery and death. But the farther away they wandered from Egypt, the more they forgot how bad it had been. They wanted what they could see—to be just like everyone else. The desert was a dangerous place and they thought a king would protect them and keep them safe.
The prophet, Samuel, was displeased with this request and prayed for wisdom. God reminded him that the crowd was not rejecting his leadership. They were rejecting God, Almighty. He told them to give them what they wanted. But if you read the rest of the chapter, God also told Samuel the consequences of such a decision. They left a life of slavery to become slaves again — this time to someone of their own choosing.
The Pilgrims suffered harrowing experiences to settle in America to be able to enjoy religious freedom. Now, almost 400 years later, Christians are asking for a “king.” Why? Because of anger and fear? No, we have forgotten who is really in charge. We have traded our trust in Him for our own self-sufficiency and we will find it sadly lacking.
Believers in Jesus — this election is a clarion call for righteousness not cowardice. Pray for wisdom, strength, and courage. Don’t follow the crowd. Satan is just rubbing his hands together in delight over the disarray of the church.
”Having done all…stand.”