When Israel kept begging for a king (“so we can be like the other nations”), God finally gave them Saul. And they were pleased: Saul was exactly what people would want in a king—he was handsome and stood a head taller than everyone else, an impressive physical specimen. He probably had a deep voice and was the sort of man other men would gladly follow into battle.
But God was not happy. He told the prophet Samuel that He would grant Israel’s wish, but that by begging for a king, the nation was rejecting God—their REAL king.
Don’t we do that? We have needs that only God can fill, but we try to fill them with other things: our work, our health, our goals? Even “veteran” Christians often expect a romance or a spouse to fill the God-shaped void in their hearts. We make idols of our gifts, talents, accomplishments, expecting our achievements (or animal lusts) to fulfill us. But true fulfillment can only be found in God. If you try to fill your heart with other things, He will make those things rot and you will be left unsatisfied. On the day that God gave Israel King Saul, He also gave them a punishment.
“Isn’t the wheat harvest today? The Lord will send thunder and rain, so that you will know and see what great evil you committed in the Lord’s sight by requesting a king for yourselves” 1 Samuel 12:17.
The wheat harvest was destroyed so Israel would learn: God is your King, not any man.
What will God have to destroy to teach us the same thing?
PRAY: Dear God, teach me that You are my King. You are the One who can fulfill me and meet my needs. Speak to me today—tell me if I am allowing anything to come between me and You. Only You can fill the God-shaped hole in my heart. Never let me fill that place with anything but you. Keep me on a short leash so that I can never stray from You.
ΑΩ
Household Words: 