Do we really believe that God knows and does what is best for us? But how often do we want what we want when we want it? God says, “This is not best for you, but we want it anyway.”
This is what happens in 1 Samuel 8—when Samuel is getting older, and his sons do not have the same spirit or leadership as Samuel.
In verse 5, the elders come to Samuel and ask, “Look,” they tell him, “You are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.” That sounds innocent enough, but this was God’s nation, and He was ruling and leading it. But people want what they think they want, and God protected them from their evil desires.
They want a king to lead the nation.
Look at what Samuel does in verse 6: “Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance.” (That is always a good way to deal with issues: look to the Lord for His guidance.)
How does the Lord respond to verses 7-9? “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for they are rejecting Me, not you. They don’t want Me to be their King any longer. Ever since I brought them from Egypt, they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And they are giving you the same treatment. Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about how a king will reign over them.”
God has His perfect will, which is always for our good, our growth, and His glory. But God also has a permissive will and allows us to do things on our own, and this is what we see here. God does not force us to follow His perfect will! This is when we reject God and no longer want Him as our King, Lord, and Master.
Why? Our decisions determine our direction and destiny. When we think we know what is best for our lives, we reject God as our Savior and Lord!
Lord, help me to walk in Your perfect will for my life!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Pastor Ronald Squibb has been the International Christian Church (ICC) Lead Senior Pastor at Staten Island, New York, since 2011. He draws many experiences from his over 40 years as a pastor and significant emotional life experiences.
His new book, Following the Journey with Jesus, which he co-authored with Daniel McNaughton, was recently published and is getting rave reviews. His daily devotional appears in this publication.
