I Samuel 9

Be careful what you ask for

I ended my last devotion in I Samuel 8 with a prayer that I plan to pray often. “These stories of the Israelites in I Samuel are reminding me that I should seek God and His guidance daily and even hourly —- make that moment by moment. Strengthen me to battle the voices in my head that create want, discontent, envy, jealousy and lust. You are all I need! You are all I want! May I live in the presence of God always. May I seek your face and your wisdom in all my decisions and all my actions. Help me to listen and obey and stay within the sphere of Your blessings. Amen!” In I Samuel 8, the people asked for a King, just like the other nations. God told Samuel, “Listen to their voice and appoint them a king.” Sometimes, God gives us what we persistently want and ask for, even if it’s not His ideal plan for us. Chapter 9 now introduces the man God has chosen to be their king in response to their request. Vs 2 “…Saul, a choice and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome person than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people.”

He had the look of a king.

Through a chain of circumstances, God led Saul to Samuel and revealed to Samuel that he was God’s choice to be king in response to the people’s pleading. Notice I say God’s choice to be king in response to the people’s pleading.  V17 says, “when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said to him ‘behold the man of whom I spoke to you! This one shall rule over my people.” This is interesting in that Saul is clearly not God’s choice for King but it is His choice in response to the current state of His people. The people didn’t seek God and pray for God’s direction they simply said, “give us a king so that we can be like the other nations.” It’s almost like God thought to Himself “you want a king, I’ll give you a King. He’ll have the look and you’ll cast all your hope in him, but he will fail you.” This is sobering to me and reminds me to be careful of my heart and my desires. Surrender all to God – my dreams, desires, pursuits, decisions big and small. May I seek your face and your wisdom in all my decisions and all my actions. Help me to listen and obey and stay within the sphere of Your blessings. Amen!”