It seemed very bad to Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us,” so he prayed to the Lord. The Lord answered Samuel, “Comply with the people’s request—everything they ask of you—because they haven’t rejected you. No, they’ve rejected me as king over them.” — 1 Samuel 8:6-7
It’s shaping up to be quite an emotionally-charged, nail-biting year for our country as the red and blue factions battle at the ballot box. Both sides have painted an Armaggedon-like picture if the other guy wins.
In such apocalyptic times, it’s helpful to remember the story when Israel clamored for a king. The writer of 1 Samuel saw it as a forsaking of God being the king, with the people wanting their nation to be like every other nation that had someone wearing a crown and living in a palace. They wanted this even when Samuel warned them that giving a person such power can lead to bad things, starting with “This is how the king will rule over you…” (1 Samuel 8:11-18).
The good news, though, is that regardless of who lives in the White House or serves in congress, the ultimate ruler is God. Our loyalty and future belong to the Father of Jesus. Every elected leader will take an oath of office, and every one of them will eventually leave that office. But when we pray, “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven,” we are making our vote count. Forever.
Nice positive message in our troubled times, thanks partially to the media.